Jump to content

Lija Athletic F.C.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lija Athletic F.C.
Full nameLija Athletic Football Club
Nickname(s)Tal-Larinġ, Tan-Nar
Founded1949; 75 years ago (1949)
GroundLija Athletic Sports Complex
Capacity500
ChairmanColin Ciantar
ManagerJoseph Galea
LeagueMaltese Challenge League
2024–25Maltese Challenge League, 15th
Websitehttps://web.archive.org/web/20070626070057/http://www.lijaathletic.com/

Lija Athletic Football Club, commonly referred to as Lija Athletic, is a football team originating from the village of Lija, Malta. The present club was founded in 1949 and has competed in the Maltese Premier League five times. During the 2023–24 Maltese Challenge League campaign, Lija Athletic finished the first round in 8th position, trailing 5 points behind the Top 6 teams. Consequently, they were slated to compete in the Play-Out section for the remainder of the season. However, Lija secured their place in the Challenge League early by defeating Żejtun 1–0, with 3 games still to play.

At the final committee meeting of the 2023-24 season, Peter Fenech announced he would be stepping down as president of Lija Athletic . On June 13, 2024, at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), Colin Ciantar was announced as his successor.

History

[edit]

Although the first team in Lija is believed to have been formed in the 1930s, the first team to take part in the competitions organised by the Malta Football Association were Lija Amateurs. Lija Amateurs were founded in 1944 and in season 1944–45, they took part in the Second Division. The team was disbanded after three years.

In 1948–49, the present club, Lija Athletic were founded. The club joined the MFA and played in Division Three. The team was gaining momentum, until during a Third Division league match against Qormi Youngsters in March 1957, the referee abandoned the game due to fighting between the players. The MFA suspended the club from all football activities. However this decision was reviewed and the team was back in 1958.

The club tasted its first success when winning the Third Division Championship in 1962–63. The team was relegated in 1968–69 and it took Lija Athletic nine years to regain promotion to the Second Division, once again winning the Third Division title. The introduction of the Premier Division by the MFA in 1980 meant that all clubs were promoted by one division. Lija Athletic found themselves in the First Division. After a rather good performance during the first season in Division One, Lija were relegated in 1981–82.

The club won promotion to the First Division in 1987–88, but after one year they were back to Division Two. In 1990–91, Lija Athletic were relegated to the Third Division. After three years in Division Three, the Athletic won three consecutive promotions way up to the Premier League after winning the championships of Divisions Three and Two and placing second in Division One. In the Premier League for the first time ever, during the season of 1996–97, Lija Athletic had a very hard time with the big guns of local football, and were relegated after placing last.

Lija Athletic regained Premiership status after placing second in season 2001–02, and after a quick return to Division One, they managed to regain promotion thanks to the runner-up position obtained in season 2003–04. Once again the Premier Division challenge was too much, and with 3 wins, 2 draws and 19 lost games, Lija finished in last place. In 2005–06 Lija Athletic continued the habit of leaving their division after one year, but this time the destination was the Second Division, after finishing 9th with 18 points in 18 games. In 2006–07 the team obtained a position in mid-table, finishing 7th place. In spite of a poorer record, the team climbed to 6th place the following season. In 2008–09 Lija Athletic were able to challenge for promotion, although they had to settle for third place behind Melita FC and local rivals Balzan Youths, thereby just missing out.

The 2009–10 season saw Lija Athletic strengthening the squad with several experienced players and some talented youngsters. From the early stages it was obvious the team would again be challengers for promotion, and with 48 points Lija Athletic won the Second Division championship and secured promotion to the First Division.

In Season 2013–14, Lija Athletic reached a new milestone when qualifying for the FA Trophy Semi-finals for the first time in the club's history, following exceptional wins including one against Premier giants, Floriana F.C. Lija Athletic were eliminated from the competition with a narrow 0–1 loss to Qormi F.C. in the FA Trophy Semi-final.

Following seven (7) seasons in the First Division, Lija Athletic regained promotion to the top flight, the Premier League, for the fourth time in the club's history, this time winning the First Division League with a total of 54 points. This is the first time in the club's history that Lija Athletic won the First Division Championship, with a relatively young squad.

In 2019–20, Lija achieved promotion to the top tier of Maltese football for the fifth time in their history. However, as with previous seasons, their stay in the top tier was short-lived, and they were relegated after just one season. Despite the setback, this season stood out as the best performance in the club's history, securing 5 wins and a total of 20 points. Noteworthy victories over Floriana and a draw with eventual champions Ħamrun highlighted that particular campaign.

The year 2024 holds special significance for Lija Athletic, as it marks the 75th anniversary since its establishment in 1949. The year kicked off on a positive note with a victory over Żejtun. Prolific striker Erjon Beu added to the celebration by scoring his 150th goal for the club.

Kits

[edit]
Period Kit supplier Shirt sponsor (front)
2009-19 Germany Adidas (EuroSport) Falzon Group of Companies Ltd.
2019-20 Italy Macron (TeamSport) Falzon Group of Companies Ltd., Take A Break Travel, the Teambar
2020-21 Falzon Group of Companies Ltd., GCS Malta
2021-22 Falzon Group of Companies Ltd., GCS Malta, Gracy's Malta
2022-25 Falzon Group of Companies Ltd.

Players

[edit]

Current squad (2024–2025)

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Malta MLT Jake Mallia
2 DF Malta MLT Clayton Giordimaina
3 DF Malta MLT Julian Camilleri
4 DF Malta MLT Leon Muscat
5 DF Malta MLT Alessio Azzopardi
7 FW Albania ALB Erjon Beu
8 MF Malta MLT Mead Mifsud
9 FW Trinidad and Tobago TRI Rundell Winchester
10 DF Malta MLT Kenley Scerri
11 FW Brazil BRA Ronald Melo Costa
12 GK Malta MLT Luke Bonnici
15 MF Malta MLT Jake Jovanoski
16 MF Malta MLT Gareth Joyce
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF Malta MLT Gianluca Falzon
19 DF Malta MLT Luke Vella
20 DF Nigeria NGA Nathan Obidike
21 DF Malta MLT Matteo Fenech
24 FW Malta MLT Brave Azzopardi
27 FW Venezuela VEN Aron Hernandez
33 MF Malta MLT Bradley Sciberras
44 MF Malta MLT Courage Omoruanzoje
66 MF Malta MLT Omar Khatib
77 FW Malta MLT Kieran Curmi
83 DF Malta MLT Sheldon Briffa
97 GK Malta MLT Josmar Gauci Felice
98 FW Malta MLT Luca Mallia
99 FW Malta MLT Amir Amhamed

Out on loan

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
18 DF Malta MLT Adam Camilleri (at San Gwann)
77 MF Malta MLT Aiden Mallia (at San Gwann)

Retired numbers

[edit]
No. Player Nationality Position Debut Last match
6 Daniel Scerri  Malta Midfielder 14 September 2003 vs Marsa 23 April 2023 vs Fgura

Staff & Administration

[edit]

Technical team (2024–2025)

[edit]
Position Name
Head Coach Malta Joseph Galea
Assistant Coach Malta Micheal Mangion
Goalkeepers Coach Malta Simon Grech
Team Manager Malta Robert Magro
U/19 Coach Malta Ivan Falzon
U/19 Team Manager Malta Marvin Abela
Team Doctor Malta Dr. David Tanti
Physiotherapist Malta Jean-Carl Azzopardi
Kit Manager Malta Larken Micallef

Administration (2024–2025)

[edit]
Position Name
President Malta Colin Ciantar
Sen. Vice President Malta Emanuel Bezzina
Vice President Malta Robert Magro
Hon. Secretary Malta Samuel Cutajar
Asst. Secretary Malta Carmel Bonnici
Treasurer Malta Hubert Zammit
Asst. Treasurer Malta Benjamin Muscat
Sporting Director Malta Hubert Zammit
Administrator Malta Samuel Cutajar
Club Delegate Malta Samuel Cutajar
Legal Advisor Malta Dr. Peter Fenech
Social Media/PRO Malta Nicholas Saliba
Malta Samuel Cutajar
Community Officer Malta Gilbert Amato Gauci
Spiritual Director Malta Rev. Can. Fr. Joseph Cilia
Committee Members Malta Steve Spiteri Fiteni
Malta Malcolm Seychell
Malta Larken Micallef
Malta Louis Fenech
Malta Sunny Scerri

Managerial History

[edit]
Dates Name
2002 - 2004 Malta Patrick Curmi
2004 - 2005 Albania Ilir Pelinku
2005 - 2007 Malta Jimmy Briffa
2007 - 2008 Malta Anthony Grech
2008 - 2009 Albania Ilir Pelinku
2009 - 2011 Malta Marco Gerada
2011 - 2014 Malta Brian Spiteri
2014 - 2015 Malta Joseph Brincat
2015 - 2016 Malta Brian Spiteri
2016 – Malta Joseph Galea

Records

[edit]

Club Top Appearances

[edit]
As of 02 December 2024
Erjon Beu is Lija's all-time top scorer with 155 goals to his name
Player Apps
Malta Daniel Scerri 409
Malta Luke Bonnici 347
Malta John Cuschieri 305
Albania Erjon Beu 247
Malta Beppe Antignolo 245
Malta Joe Cardona 217
Malta Clayton Giordimaina 208
Malta Raymond Borg 207
Malta Glenn Barry 195
Malta Leon Muscat 187

Club Top Scorers

[edit]
As of 02 December 2024
Player Goals Apps
Albania Erjon Beu 155 247
Malta Glenn Barry 65 195
Tunisia Ridha Dardouri 50 73
Nigeria Ige Abdullahi Adeshina 50 147
Malta Beppe Antignolo 49 245

Honours

[edit]

League

[edit]

Cup

[edit]
  • Second/Third Division Knock Out Cup
    • Winners (1): 1994–95
  • Third Division Sons of Malta Cup
    • Winners (1): 1978–79

Youth academy

[edit]

The Lija Iklin Youth Academy alongside the Iklin Local Council and the 'Skema Żgħażagħ Iklin', was founded back in 2002 by then president Mr Charles J.Scerri.

During the years the academy has been recognized as one of central Malta's leading football academy's with over 250 players registered. The academy includes teams in each age category, catering for boys and girls.

Crest of Lija Iklin Football Academy
As of 28 October 2024
Season 2024–25
Category Section Pos P W D L PTS
Under 15 B 9th 6 0 1 5 1
Under 17 C 4th 4 2 0 2 6
Under 16 (Girls) N/A 4th 5 2 0 3 6

Competitions history

[edit]

2000–present

[edit]
Season League Top Scorer Knockout/Cup Youths U/19
Div. Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Name Goals Div. Pos. Cup
2000–2001 2nd 2nd 18 10 4 4 36 20 34 Malta Alan Tabone 9 First Round Section B 9th First Round
2001–2002 1st 10th 24 4 3 17 21 70 11 Albania Ilir Pelinku 6 Second Round Section B 7th Quarter-Finals
2002–2003 2nd 5th 18 6 6 6 21 24 24 Malta Glenn Barry 10 First round Section B 4th Winners
2003–2004 2nd 2nd 18 9 5 4 31 24 32 Malta Glenn Barry 7 Second round Section B 9th Preliminary Round
2004–2005 1st 10th 24 3 2 19 13 60 8 Malta Glenn Barry 5 First round Section C 2nd Preliminary Round
2005–2006 2nd 9th 18 5 3 10 20 33 18 Malta Michael Gatt 5 First round Section B 6th Second round
2006–2007 3rd 7th 22 8 6 8 27 25 30 Malta Anthony Gera 8 Quarter-Finals Section B 2nd Winners
2007–2008 3rd 6th 22 8 4 10 25 29 28 Malta Beppe Antignolo 6 First Round Section A 8th Preliminary Round
2008–2009 3rd 3rd 22 15 3 4 35 17 48 Malta Chris Pace 8 First Round Section A 10th Quarter Finals
2009–2010 3rd 1st 22 14 6 2 48 22 48 Malta Antoine Sacco 10 Quarter-Finals Section B 10th Preliminary Round
2010–2011 2nd 5th 18 7 3 8 24 25 24 Bosnia and Herzegovina Admir Džanović 7 First Round Section C 8th Preliminary Round
2011–2012 2nd 7th 22 8 5 9 26 25 29 Malta Gilbert Camilleri 6 Fourth Round Section C 8th First Round
2012–2013 2nd 4th 22 13 3 6 42 30 42 Albania Erjon Beu 12 Semi-Finals Section C 9th First Round
2013–2014 2nd 7th 24 9 6 9 44 44 33 Bulgaria Kiril Aleksandrov 15 Third Round Section C 10th Third Round
2014–2015 2nd 9th 26 12 2 12 45 43 38 Nigeria Ige Abdullahi Adeshina 10 Third Round Section D 1st Second Round
2015–2016 2nd 5th 26 12 5 9 40 27 41 Albania Erjon Beu 9 Fourth Round Section C 2nd Third Round
2016–2017 2nd 1st 26 16 6 4 63 34 54 Albania Erjon Beu 24 Fourth Round Section B 2nd Third Round
2017–2018 1st 14th 26 1 3 22 23 84 6 Albania Erjon Beu 11 Quarter-Finals Section A 8th Second Round
2018–2019 2nd 7th 26 9 8 9 49 50 35 Albania Erjon Beu 20 Fourth Round Section A 10th Second Round
2019–2020 2nd 2nd 19 11 3 5 47 31 36 Albania Erjon Beu 25 Third Round Section B 2nd Second Round
2020–2021 1st 15th 23 5 5 13 25 46 20 Albania Erjon Beu 9 Round of 32 Section A 12th N/A
2021–2022 2nd 7th 20 8 4 8 39 37 28 Malta Lydon Micallef 18 Preliminary Round Section A 12th N/A
2022–2023 2nd 10th 28 11 6 11 51 54 39 Colombia Duvan Mosqueira Torres 16 Preliminary Round Section B 7th N/A
2023–2024 2nd 9th 24 9 5 10 31 44 32 Albania Erjon Beu 10 Round of 32 Section B 7th N/A
2024–2025 2nd N/A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Malta N/A 0 N/A Section B N/A N/A
[edit]

Official website

[edit]