It’s probably fair to say that the current Malta Premier League format is like marmite – you either love it or you hate it. Read through the comments sections on Facebook and various other social media outlets, and you’ll find fans not shy in voicing their displeasure over the “lottery” that has become Malta’s top-flight.

Introduced for the 2024/25 season, after the member clubs voted to pass the motion, the current Apertura / Clausura format so beloved in Central / South American countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Chile, was also tried in the inaugurgal season of the Canadian Premier League in 2019. However, it was scrapped by that league after one season, as it reverted to a single season-long table and playoffs.

We were told the system was brought into Malta with the hope of putting bums on seats. Some cynics have also said the raison d’être was to stop Ħamrun Spartans winning the league each season. And it’s true, attendances did rise for the 2024/25 season – some 21% compared to the 2023/24 campaign. The figures for 2025/26 are of course not yet finalised as we still wait for a conclusion at both ends of the table.

But nearly two seasons into the initial three-season experiment, and it’s clear fans are experiencing fatigue with not knowing the permutations of each stage of the league. More often than not, it will be left to the MPL’s official Facebook page to explains “what happens next”. This is clearly not a healthy situation for a top-flight league to find itself in. And it’s culturally not what we are used to in Malta.

A good case in point was this past Thursday. I attended the Tarxien Rainbows v Sliema Wanderers match. It was a game in which Tarxien needed to better Żabbar St Patrick’s outcome as both were locked on 12pts with one game to play. As it happens, both won and finished on 15pts.

In any normal league, Tarxien would’ve finished in the bottom two on goal difference. However, that counts for nothing and they will now play a “decider” tomorrow night at the National Stadium (KO 19:00). Should Tarxien lose that one, they are indeed finally relegated. Should they win, they will only have to go into yet another decider against – wait for it – Żabbar St Patrick! This will be as part of four different teams finishing in the bottom two places over the season.

As full-time approached and it became clear both sides would finish on level points, it meant frantic messaging to Maltese football journalist, Gianluca Lia (thank you Gianluca!), to find out what the result would in fact mean! And it got me to thinking, this is not how it should be for fans.

An Alternative?

In a country where crowds can be sparse, it’s a fine juggling act for the MPL (and other domestic leagues) to keep fans interested as the season progresses. Often, clubs will hover in mid-table with no real chance of being relegated. Conversely, they will often have no chance of winning silverware either. So how to keep the league relevant?

I personally (for what it’s worth) would like to see the twelve-team league go back to 22 regular season games – each team plays each other twice. At that point, the league could split into two with a Top 6 and Bottom 6. Each team would play the others in their half of the league once to wrap up the campaign.

The team that finishes first is undoubtedly the best team in the league. The league table wouldn’t lie with this kind of format, unlike now. The bottom two clubs would be relegated to the Challenge League.

Continental Qualification

The team that wins the league would qualify for the Champions League. The team that finishes second would qualify for the Europa League. Keep in mind there is also the FA Trophy to achieve qualification for Europe, and the winners of that would go into the Conference League.

But what of the 4th space? This is where it would become slightly unique and keep mid-table more relevant.

Borrowing the idea from the Cymru Premier in Wales, I propose that the team that finishes 7th in the league, go into a one-game playoff with the team that finished 3rd in the league. What it does is it gives those in the Bottom 6 and are essentially safe, a chance to actually play for something meaningful and every game counts.

It also gives clubs not in with a chance of finishing in the top two, similar aspirations in the Top 6. And while, on paper at least, you’d expect the side finishing 3rd to comfortably defeat the team finishing 7th, the Welsh have shown that is certainly not always the case. So the jeopardy remains and it gives fans and players alike, something more to play for.

Conclusion

Just my two cents’-worth of course. And, at the end of the day, who am I but just another fan. But I believe a format like this gives teams their rightful finish. As I said, the league table doesn’t lie (unless you’re using the current MPL format) but it keeps the jeopardy real for a majority, if not all, clubs in the league. An added bonus is that fans will understand what’s happening and what each result means.

We’ve been told that the current Apertura / Clausura format will remain in place for the 2026/27 season. A lot of fans are very disappointed with this, myself included, but it does mean the league will see out its original three-season experiment with this make-up. What comes next is anyone’s guess.

One can only hope that the clubs will listen to the fans. The attendance figures this season will be interesting once published. Will there have been another increase? Time will tell. If there is, I fear this format will remain for even longer. With that in mind, this summer could well be a very important one indeed for the future of our top-flight competition.

by Paul Gellard