2009–10 Maltese Premier League

Maltese Premier League
Season 2009–10
Champions Birkirkara
(3rd title)
Relegated Msida Saint-Joseph
Dingli Swallows
Champions League Birkirkara
Europa League Valletta (via domestic cup)
Sliema Wanderers
Matches played 132
Goals scored 433 (3.28 per match)
Top goalscorer Brazil Camilo
(24 goals)
Biggest home win Valletta 6–0 Floriana
Biggest away win Dingli Swallows 0–6 Hamrun Spartans
Highest scoring Qormi 6–2 Floriana
Tarxien Rainbows 2–6 Valletta
Msida Saint-Joseph 3–5 Hamrun Spartans

The Maltese Premier League 2009–10 was the 95th season of the Maltese Premier League, the top-tier football league in Malta. Hibernians were the defending champions. The season began on 21 August 2009 and ended on 5 May 2010. It was won by Birkirkara, who became the league winners for the third time in their history.

Promotion and relegation from 2008–09

Hamrun Spartans were relegated to the First Division after finishing in last place of the relegation pool. They were joined by Msida Saint-Joseph, who lost a decision match against Tarxien Rainbows on penalties.

Promoted from the First Division were Dingli Swallows as champions and Vittoriosa Stars as runners-up. However, after playing one match in the Premier League, Vittoriosa Stars were relegated to the First Division due to a decision by the Board to Investigate Corrupt Practices. A month later, Marsaxlokk received the same punishment, immediate relegation to the First Division due to their involvement in a bribery scandal. Rather than continue the season with eight clubs, the Maltese FA declared that both the Premier League and First Division would be composed of 10 clubs each. In a meeting on 17 September 2009, it was decided that Msida Saint-Joseph and Hamrun Spartans]] would play in the Premier League this season, despite both being relegated last season.

Training Grounds and Locations

Team City of Origin Ground City of Ground
Birkirkara Birkirkara Infetti Ground Birkirkara
Dingli Swallows Dingli Dingli Ground Dingli
Floriana Floriana Independence Arena Floriana
Hibernians Paola Hibernians Ground Paola
Hamrun Spartans Ħamrun Victor Tedesco Stadium Ħamrun
Msida Saint-Joseph Msida Ħamrun Junior Lyceum Ħamrun
Qormi Qormi Thomaso Grounds Qormi
Sliema Wanderers Sliema Tigné Point Sliema
Tarxien Rainbows Tarxien Tarxien Ground Tarxien
Valletta Valletta Salinos Ground Valletta

Competition modus

The Premier League consists of two rounds. In the First Round, every team will play each opponent twice, once home and once away, for a total of 18 games. The league will then be split in two pools. Earned points will be halved (rounded up if necessary). Teams that will finish in positions 1–6 compete in the "Championship Pool" and teams finishing in positions 7–10 play in the "Relegation Pool".

First round

League table

Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Valletta 18 12 4 2 45 15+30 40 Qualification for Championship pool
2 Birkirkara 18 12 3 3 40 18+22 39
3 Qormi 18 11 2 5 37 22+15 35
4 Sliema Wanderers 18 9 2 7 29 21+8 29
5 Hibernians 18 7 6 5 31 28+3 27
6 Tarxien Rainbows 18 7 5 6 30 29+1 26
7 Floriana 18 6 5 7 23 3512 23 Qualification for Relegation pool
8 Hamrun Spartans 18 6 3 9 24 317 21
9 Msida Saint-Joseph 18 3 2 13 12 3422 11
10 Dingli Swallows 18 1 0 17 13 5138 3

Source: kicker.de (in German)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
Note: Teams ranked 1 through 6 will qualify for the championship pool, teams ranked 7 through 10 play in the relegation pool. Earned points will be halved and taken over to the respective pools.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Results

Home ╲ Away BIR DIN FLOHIBHAMMSJQORSLITARVAL
Birkirkara 20 01 22 21 41 20 01 51 13
Dingli Swallows 13 02 12 13 12 14 02 14 06
Floriana 12 12 11 11 42 11 11 11 04
Hibernians 22 21 23 42 30 22 01 01 24
Hamrun Spartans 02 30 01 22 10 12 30 22 23
Msida Saint-Joseph 12 21 12 01 02 03 10 11 01
Qormi 25 40 62 31 20 30 10 02 02
Sliema Wanderers 03 31 30 22 50 20 12 42 01
Tarxien Rainbows 02 21 21 12 01 31 12 31 22
Valletta 11 41 60 01 40 00 10 13 22

Source: kicker.de (in German)
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second round

Championship Pool

Table

Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Birkirkara (C) 28 20 4 4 64 32+32 45 2010–11 UEFA Champions League First qualifying round
2 Valletta 28 20 4 4 71 25+46 44 2010–11 UEFA Europa League Second qualifying round 1
3 Qormi 28 15 2 11 53 36+17 30
4 Sliema Wanderers 28 14 2 12 41 37+4 30 2010–11 UEFA Europa League First qualifying round
5 Tarxien Rainbows 28 10 6 12 41 509 23
6 Hibernians 28 8 6 14 40 5111 17

Source: maltafootball.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
Points earned in the first round have been halved.
1Valletta were the winners of the 2009-10 Maltese Cup competition and qualified for the second qualifying round of UEFA Europa League.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Results

Home ╲ Away BIR HIB QORSLITARVAL
Birkirkara 21 31 21 10 10
Hibernians 45 10 12 01 132
Qormi 02 30 30 20 12
Sliema Wanderers 03 30 04 20 21
Tarxien Rainbows 33 20 32 02 26
Valletta 42 21 30 20 30

Source: Maltese FA
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
2Valletta were assigned as home team for both Championship Round matches against Hibernians for unknown reasons; this match was the latter of these two and has been put in this table cell for organisatorical reasons.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Europa league play-off

Due to finishing equal on points, Qormi and Sliema played a play-off match to determine Maltese second UEFA Europa League participant for the 2010–11 season.

1 June 2010
19:30 CEST
Qormi 0 – 2 Sliema Wanderers
Dronca  51' (pen)
 90+5' (o.g.)

Relegation Pool

Table

Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification or relegation
7 Floriana 24 10 6 8 35 416 25
8 Hamrun Spartans 24 10 4 10 41 39+2 24
9 Dingli Swallows (R) 24 2 0 22 23 7148 5 Relegation to Maltese First Division
10 Msida Saint-Joseph (R) 24 4 4 16 24 5127 011

Source: maltafootball.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
Points earned in the first round have been halved.
1Msida Saint-Joseph were docked 10 points for failing to honour payments to their former coach and a number of former players.[1]
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Results

Home ╲ Away DIN FLO HAMMSJ
Dingli Swallows 03 06 52
Floriana 42 10 21
Hamrun Spartans 21 21 22
Msida Saint-Joseph 32 11 35

Source: maltafootball.com
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top scorers

Rank Scorer Club Goals[2]
1 Brazil Camilo Qormi 24
2 Malta Terence Scerri Valletta 20
3 Malta Ryan Darmanin Floriana 17
4 Netherlands Sylvano Comvalius Birkirkara 15
Brazil Denni Tarxien Rainbows 15
Brazil Marcelo Pereira Hamrun Spartans 15
7 Malta Michael Galea Birkirkara 14
8 Nigeria Josef Okonkwo Dingli Swallows 13
Malta Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza Sliema Wanderers 13
10 Malta Trevor Cilia Birkirkara 12
Nigeria Alfred Effiong Qormi 12
Goals total 433
Matches total 132
Average per match 3.28

References

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