2016–17 Maltese Premier League

The 2016–17 Maltese Premier League was the 102nd season of the Maltese Premier League. The season began on 19 August 2016 and concluded on 6 May 2017; the relegation play-off took place on 12 May 2017. Valletta were the defending champions, having won their 23rd title the previous season.

Maltese Premier League
Season2016–17
Dates19 August 2016 – 6 May 2017
ChampionsHibernians
(12th title)
RelegatedPembroke Athleta
Champions LeagueHibernians
Europa LeagueBalzan
Valletta
Floriana
Matches played198
Goals scored570 (2.88 per match)
Top goalscorerBojan Kaljević
(23 goals)[1]
Biggest home winTarxien Rainbows 7–1 Pembroke Athleta
(22 January 2017)[2]
Balzan 7–1 Mosta
(24 February 2017)[3]
St. Andrews 6–0 Pembroke Athleta
(9 April 2017)[4]
Biggest away winGżira United 1–7 Birkirkara
(22 October 2016)[5]
Highest scoringGżira United 1–7 Birkirkara
(22 October 2016)[5]
Tarxien Rainbows 7–1 Pembroke Athleta
(22 January 2017)[2]
Balzan 7–1 Mosta
(24 February 2017)[3]

On 30 April 2017, Hibernians defeated St. Andrews 3–1 to clinch their 12th Maltese league title.[6]

Format

For this season, in a change from recent previous seasons, points earned in the first 22 matches were no longer halved. Each team therefore played 33 matches, home-and-away against each other team (22 matches), and then one more match (either home or away) against each other team.

Teams and stadiums
Locations of the 2016–17 Maltese Premier League teams

Naxxar Lions and Qormi were relegated to the 2016–17 Maltese First Division after they finished eleventh and twelfth, respectively, the previous season. They were replaced by Gżira United and Ħamrun Spartans, champions and runners-up respectively of the 2015–16 Maltese First Division.

TeamCityStadiumCapacity
BalzanBalzanVictor Tedesco Stadium6,000
BirkirkaraBirkirkaraTa' Qali National Stadium17,797
FlorianaFlorianaIndependence Arena3,000
Gżira UnitedGżiraTa' Qali National Stadium17,797
Ħamrun SpartansĦamrunVictor Tedesco Stadium6,000
HiberniansPaolaHibernians Ground2,968
MostaMostaCharles Abela Memorial Stadium600
Pembroke AthletaPembrokeSirens Stadium1,500
Sliema WanderersSliemaTigne Sports Complex1,000
St. AndrewsSt. Andrew'sLuxol Sports Ground800
Tarxien RainbowsTarxienTony Cassar Sports Ground1,000
VallettaVallettaCentenary Stadium2,000

Source: Scoresway

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Hibernians (C) 33 22 5 6 64 31 +33 71 Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round
2 Balzan 33 19 7 7 66 40 +26 64 Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round
3 Birkirkara[lower-alpha 1] 33 18 8 7 64 30 +34 62
4 Valletta 33 16 11 6 51 29 +22 59 Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round
5 Floriana 33 15 9 9 51 37 +14 54 Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round[lower-alpha 2]
6 Sliema Wanderers 33 15 7 11 47 37 +10 52
7 Gżira United 33 10 7 16 43 51 −8 37
8 St. Andrews 33 9 10 14 45 51 −6 37
9 Tarxien Rainbows 33 8 11 14 38 48 −10 35
10 Hamrun Spartans 33 9 6 18 44 61 −17 33
11 Mosta[lower-alpha 3] (O) 33 7 5 21 29 71 −42 21 Qualification for the relegation play-offs
12 Pembroke Athleta (R) 33 4 6 23 28 84 −56 18 Relegation to the Maltese First Division
Source: Malta Football Association, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Play-off (only if deciding champion and UEFA competition places); 3) Head-to-head points; 4) Head-to-head goal difference; 5) Head-to-head goals scored; 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored.[9]
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
  1. Birkirkara would have qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round, but failed to obtain a UEFA licence.[7]
  2. Floriana qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2016–17 Maltese FA Trophy.
  3. Mosta were deducted five points for making illegal payments to a player registered as an amateur.[8]

Results

Matches 1–22
Home \ Away BAL BIR FLO GŻI ĦAM HIB MOS PEM SLI STA TAR VAL
Balzan — 1–1 1–3 3–1 3–1 2–1 3–2 4–0 1–2 3–0 2–2 2–2
Birkirkara 3–0 — 1–2 2–1 2–1 0–1 2–0 2–0 1–2 4–0 3–1 0–1
Floriana 0–1 1–1 — 1–0 5–1 0–0 4–0 2–1 1–3 4–1 1–1 2–0
Gżira United 1–2 1–7 4–3 — 0–2 0–3 3–0 3–0 1–0 3–2 1–1 1–3
Ħamrun Spartans 0–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 — 1–4 3–0 2–1 0–3 3–1 2–3 0–3
Hibernians 0–2 1–2 2–2 1–1 1–3 — 3–1 1–1 3–1 1–0 1–0 1–0
Mosta 0–1 0–2 0–1 2–1 2–5 0–2 — 0–3 2–1 1–0 0–2 0–1
Pembroke Athleta 1–2 2–1 1–2 0–0 1–0 1–2 0–3[lower-alpha 1] — 0–1 2–2 2–2 0–3
Sliema Wanderers 1–1 2–1 3–1 1–0 1–2 0–1 1–1 1–1 — 1–1 2–1 1–2
St. Andrews 0–1 1–1 1–3 1–0 3–1 1–2 1–1 4–1 3–0 — 1–0 0–0
Tarxien Rainbows 2–2 0–4 1–0 1–0 2–1 1–2 1–1 7–1 1–0 1–1 — 1–1
Valletta 2–2 1–1 0–0 1–0 2–0 0–2 0–0 5–1 2–1 1–1 1–0 —
Source: Malta Football Association
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
  1. Match awarded 3–0 to Mosta after a successful protest; original result was Pembroke Athleta 5–0 Mosta.[10]

Matches 23–33
Home \ Away BAL BIR FLO GŻI ĦAM HIB MOS PEM SLI STA TAR VAL
Balzan — — — 3–1 1–1 — 7–1 — — 2–1 — 0–1
Birkirkara 3–1 — — — 3–0 2–0 3–0 — — 2–2 — —
Floriana 0–2 1–2 — 1–1 — 2–3 — 2–0 — — — 1–1
Gżira United — 1–1 — — — — — 5–1 0–1 — 1–0 1–1
Ħamrun Spartans — — 1–2 1–3 — — — 1–2 0–2 1–1 — 2–1
Hibernians 3–1 — — 2–0 3–3 — 4–0 — — 3–1 — —
Mosta — — 0–2 1–4 2–1 — — 4–2 — 1–2 — 0–4
Pembroke Athleta 2–5 0–2 — — — 0–3 — — 0–2 — 1–1 —
Sliema Wanderers 2–1 1–1 3–0 — — 1–2 1–1 — — — 1–1 —
St. Andrews — — 0–0 2–3 — — — 6–0 1–4 — 1–0 3–1
Tarxien Rainbows 0–3 0–1 0–1 — 1–1 1–6 1–3 — — — — —
Valletta — 3–3 — — — 1–0 — 4–0 3–1 — 0–2 —
Source: Malta Football Association
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Relegation play-offs

A play-off match took place between the eleventh-placed team from the Premier League, Mosta, and the fourth-placed team from the First Division, Qormi, for a place in the 2017–18 Maltese Premier League. Mosta retained their spot in the Maltese Premier League, while Qormi remained in the Maltese First Division.

Mosta3–1Qormi
Triganza  56'
Pedrinho  58'
Priso  82'		 Report Medic  6'
Referee: Alan Mario Sant

Top scorers
As of matches played on 5 May 2017
Rank Player Club Goals[1]
1 Bojan Kaljević Balzan 23
2 Jurgen Degabriele Hibernians 16
3 Mario Fontanella Floriana 14
4 Vito Plut Birkirkara 13
5 Jake Grech Ħamrun Spartans 12
6 Srđan Dimitrov Ħamrun Spartans 11
Alexander Nilsson Tarxien Rainbows
Jean Paul Farrugia Sliema Wanderers
9 Jorginho Hibernians 10

References
  1. "Top Scorers". Malta Football Association. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  2. "Tarxien Rainbows vs. Pembroke Athleta". Malta Football Association. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  3. "Balzan vs. Mosta". Malta Football Association. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  4. "St. Andrews vs. Pembroke Athleta". Malta Football Association. 9 April 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  5. "Gżira United vs. Birkirkara". Malta Football Association. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  6. "Hibs beat Saints to kick off title celebrations". Malta Football Association. 30 April 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  7. "Birkirkara FC UEFA licence appeal turned down". Malta Football Association. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  8. "Mosta FC appeal not upheld". Malta Football Association. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  9. "Premier League 2016/2017 - Rules". Scoresway. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  10. "Mosta FC protest upheld by MFA Protests Board". Malta Football Association. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
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