The 2021–22 Maltese Premier League was the 107th season of the Maltese Premier League, the top-flight league football in Malta. Ħamrun Spartans were the defending champions, having won their eighth title in the previous season.
On 9 April, the previous season was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Malta. Following the decision of the Maltese Football Association Executive Committee, the teams that had finished in the relegation places in the previous Premier League season would be relegated to the Challenge League due to having played the prerequisite 75% of matches for the seasons result to stand. However, as the Challenge League teams did not complete 75% of matches, they would not be promoted to the Premier League to replace the exiting teams, meaning that the 2021–22 season will have only 12 teams competing.
The Premier League consists of two rounds. In the first round, every team plays each opponent twice, once "home" and once "away" (in actuality, the designation of home and away is purely arbitrary as most of the clubs do not have their own grounds), for a total of 22 games. The league then splits into two groups. Teams that finish in positions 1–6 compete in the "Top Six" and teams that finish in positions 7–12 play in the "Play-Out".
Teams
Twelve teams will compete in the league.
Team In league since City Balzan 2011 Balzan Birkirkara 1990 Birkirkara Floriana 1986 Floriana Gudja United 2019 Gudja Gżira United 2016 Gżira Ħamrun Spartans 2016 Ħamrun Hibernians 1945 Paola Mosta 2011 Mosta St. Lucia 2019 Santa Luċija Sirens 2019 St. Paul's Bay Sliema Wanderers 1984 Sliema Valletta 1944 Valletta
Venues Ta' Qali Ta' Qali Paola Ta' Qali National Stadium Centenary Stadium Tony Bezzina Stadium Capacity: 16,997 Capacity: 3,000 Capacity: 2,968
Personnel and kits
Team Manager Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorBalzan Alejandro Pantoja (Caretaker)JomaInvestors Mutual LimitedBirkirkara Jonathan Holland (Caretaker)NikeMcDonald's (Front), Inter Sport (Back Top), Visit Malta (Back Bottom)Floriana Gianluca AtzoriJomaHarmont & Blaine, BoggiGudja United Thane MicallefMacronAll Nuts, Handy Man, Green FinanceGżira United Darren AbdillaPumaĦamrun Spartans Branko NiševićPumaJ. Portelli ProjectsHibernians Stefano SanderraJomaBezzinaMosta Joseph GrechMacronDimbros, NilmarSirens Winston MuscatMacronCafé del Mar Malta (Front), Welbee's (Front), Malta National Aquarium (Back), Ozo Group (Sleeves Both)Sliema Wanderers Noel Turner (Caretaker)JartaziNM group, SixtSanta Lucia Giovanni TedescoCapelli SportMultivend, avanzaValletta Danilo DončićPumaIniala Additionally, referee kits are made by Macron, sponsored by TeamSports and FXDD.
Managerial changes
TeamOutgoing managerManner ofdepartureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentSirens Giovanni TedescoResign 27 May 2021Pre-season Winston Muscat 27 May 2021Floriana John ButtigiegEnd of Contract 14 June 2021 Gianluca Atzori 17 June 2021Balzan Mark MillerMutual consent19 October 20219th Paul Zammit23 October 2021Santa Lucia Oliver SpiteriSacked20 January 202211th Giovanni Tedesco12 January 2022Valletta Cardoso Mendes3 February 20227th Danilo Dončić3 February 2022Ħamrun Spartans Mark Buttigieg14 February 20225th Branko Nišević15 February 2022Sliema Wanderers Andrea Pisanu16 February 202212th Noel Turner (Caretaker)16 February 2022Balzan Paul Zammit15 April 202211th Alejandro Pantoja (Caretaker)23 April 2022Birkirkara André Paus20 April 20223rd Jonathan Holland (Caretaker)20 April 2022
First phase League table <onlyinclude>
Results
Second phase Top Six
Play-Out
Season statistics Scoring Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 MaxuellGżira United172 Jurgen DegabrieleHibernians143 Mario FontanellaValletta124 Luke MontebelloBirkirkara11 Sunday AkinbuleMosta Jefferson AssisGżira United7 Jake GrechHibernians9 Kemar ReidFloriana Vitor da Silva VieiraSirens10 Vito PlutSanta Lucia8 Bogdan GavrilaSirens
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Mario FontanellaVallettaSirens3–1 (H)17 October 2021 Jefferson AssisGżira UnitedĦamrun Spartans4–1 (H)5 February 2022
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Georgi KitanovFloriana112 Henry BonelloĦamrun Spartans103 Glenn ZammitGudja United94 Ibrahim KonéHibernians75 Daniel FernandesBirkirkara5 Amara Sylla7 Alessandro GuarnoneValletta48 Justin HaberSanta Lucia39 Vukasin VranesBalzan2 Anthony CurmiGżira United Matthew Calleja CremonaHibernians Timothy AquilinaSliema Wanderers Rashed Al-Tumi Julani ArchibaldSanta Lucia Ini Etim AkpanMosta Johnathan DebonoSirens
Discipline Player Most yellow cards: 11 Leandro Almeida (Hibernians)
Most red cards: 2 Enrico Pepe (Birkirkara) Luke Tabone (Gżira United) Claude Dielna (Ħamrun Spartans) Victor Luiz (Santa Lucia) Danny Holla (Sliema Wanderers)
Club Most yellow cards: 94 Sliema Wanderers Most red cards: 6 Valletta
Awards Monthly awards MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthManagerClubPlayerClubAugust andSeptember Stefano SanderraHibernians Jake GrechHiberniansOctober Winston MuscatSirens Luke MontebelloBirkirkaraNovember Stefano SanderraHibernians Jake GrechHiberniansDecember Paul ZammitBalzan Jurgen DegabrieleJanuary Thane MicallefGudja United Kurt ShawSliema WanderersFebruary Gianluca AtzoriFloriana Jan BusuttilFlorianaMarch Stefano SanderraHibernians Jurgen DegabrieleHiberniansApril and May Jan BusuttilFloriana
References
External links Official website