Sciriha eyes more success

Having guided Marsaxlokk to the apex of Maltese football, Victor Sciriha, the club's chief financial backer, believes the new champions can achieve more success in the next few years. He also tells of his desire to team up with Valletta FC.

Marsaxlokk residents are experts at handling nets but for decades, their connection with the woven fabric had been restricted to fishing.

The picturesque village in the southern part of the island still owes its huge popularity to its fishing traditions but over the past five years, Marsaxlokk have also forged a reputation for their ability to find the net on the football field.

Their journey from the foothills of local football to the summit of Malta's heavyweights' division reached its climax this season when Marsaxlokk literally cantered to their first Premier League title.

Boasting a squad replete with key national team players and seasoned campaigners, Marsaxlokk dictated the pace from the opening weeks of the season and had their success wrapped up with three matches to spare.

Fans and critics are unified in their view that Marsaxlokk are deserving champions, in the process heaping praise on coach Brian Talbot. Yet, the mastermind behind Marsaxlokk's transformation is Victor Sciriha whose willingness to delve into his abundant personal wealth to build a championship-winning side, has guided the southerners to unprecedented heights.

Sciriha may not be everybody's cup of tea but his impact on Marsaxlokk has been such that the medicine magnate has become a household name in Maltese football.

"From the moment Marsaxlokk were promoted to the Premier League five years ago, my aim has been to lead the club to the title," Sciriha told The Times.

"We set about building a squad capable of challenging for the top honours. Over the past few years, we signed several players but from day one of this season, I felt that this could be our year.

"The arrival of Brian Talbot as coach and the signing of defender Luke Dimech strengthened my conviction that Marsaxlokk would fulfil their dream of becoming champions of Malta."

Looking back on Marsaxlokk's relentless march to the title, Sciriha said his team's 6-1 victory over Birkirkara in the first round of the Championship Pool galvanised his belief that the Blues were on the road to success.

"After our win over Birkirkara in the first round of the Championship Pool, I felt very confident about our title chances," Sciriha said.

"We had a significant lead at the top of the standings and the team was playing some great football.

"Then, we slipped up against Sliema... the team's performance that day was arguably the worst of the season. Nevertheless, I don't think we would have lost 4-1 had Andrè Schembri not been sent off just before half-time.

"The defeat to Sliema was our first in 22 matches but it didn't derail our title momentum. The team bounced back immediately. Their bold reaction was testament to Talbot's ability to rally his players."

Great passion

Sciriha is still basking in the glory of Marsaxlokk's first Premier League title and who would begrudge him such satisfaction, given the huge amount of money and time he invests in the team.

Football has always been a great passion for him but people often wonder what spurred Sciriha to take over Marsaxlokk FC.

"I joined the club's administration by pure incidence," he remarked.

"I remember being invited to a reception and that was the first time I agreed to help Marsaxlokk.

"At the time, I never imagined that I would become so heavily involved with the club. However, I've realised that once you're part of a football committee, it's hard to leave.

"That said, I cannot say that I'm not satisfied with the progress the team has made in the past seven years.

"We've built this team from scratch but now Marsaxlokk have a squad of players that can go on and achieve more success in future. All the sacrifice my family and I have made to turn Marsaxlokk into a force is bearing fruit."

Before heeding Marsaxlokk's call, Sciriha's interest in Maltese football was equivalent to that of a normal fan.

"My interest pre-dates my association with Marsaxlokk," Sciriha commented.

"Coming from Paola, my favourite team was Hibernians but I have always held an admiration for Valletta FC. I spent my University years in Valletta and I have a lot of friends from the capital city."

Sciriha's tenure as Marsaxlokk president and lately as vice-president - a few years back Mark Sciriha, Victor's elder son, took over the presidency of the club - has been punctuated by reports linking him with administrative roles with Hibs and Valletta.

Last season, Sciriha held talks with Valletta FC officials and potential financial backers to launch a sort of takeover bid of the club but the move did not materialise.

For a while, it looked as if Sciriha's rapport with Valletta and their fans had deteriorated drastically but the vibes coming out of the City clan over the past few months suggest that differences between the two parties have been put to bed.

In the last few months, speculation has increased that Sciriha is prepared to take up a senior role on the Valletta committee next season while whispers about a potential move to Hibs have receded.

Asked to comment on these reports, Sciriha said: "First and foremost I want to reassure the Marsaxlokk fans that I'm not going to abandon the team.

"With regards to Hibs, I have great respect for club president Tony Bezzina with whom I've also got a good business relationship.

"Valletta... I've already said that I've got a soft spot for them. If the members and supporters accept me, I am willing to become part of the Valletta family."

On Monday, Marsaxlokk suffered only their third defeat of the season, going down 1-0 to Valletta after playing more than 26 minutes of the second half with ten men following the sending-off of Kevin Sammut.

With their title party set to reach a crescendo on Sunday, when Marsaxlokk captain Carlo Mamo will finally lay his hands on the Premier League trophy after his side's final match against rivals Sliema, Sciriha is confident that his team will close their season on a winning note.

"Our players were tired and perhaps a bit complacent against Valletta but come Sunday, I'm sure they will be motivated to produce another strong performance and finish the season on a high," he said.

"A victory would also be the perfect gift to all those Marsaxlokk supporters who have been behind the team throughout the season."