Updated: I believed this was going to be Valletta’s year – Zerafa

Updated - Adds video - “The club felt the need to inject City blood into our coaching team and this was one of the main reasons we opted for Jesmond Zerafa and Leonard Farrugia,” Victor Sciriha, the Valletta president, said at the unveiling of Zerafa as the team’s head coach last June.

Eleven months on, Sciriha’s decision has been fully vindicated as Zerafa delivered the league title in his first season at the helm.

Cynics might argue that Zerafa had a relatively plainsailing job, what with Valletta boasting the strongest squad in the Premier League, but the same was said in the previous two years and yet City failed to make good on their favourites’ tag.

Unfazed by the pressure of guiding the most expensively-assembled squad in the league, Zerafa, himself a leading Valletta player in his heyday, used his knowledge and experience to great effect as the Whites ran away with the championship.

Handling a group of high-profile players was a huge challenge but Zerafa has shown a ruthless streak, a key attribute of any suc-cessful coach.

“There’s always pressure when you’re coaching a team like Valletta but I believe it’s the dream of every coach here to be in this job,” Zerafa told The Sunday Times.

“Here, the motivation is different to when you’re with other clubs. I decided to take up the challenge because I believed that this was going to be Valletta’s year. The club really had this hunger to win the league.

“It’s true, perhaps, that as journalists often point out, it’s been a pressure-filled year but you go to coach Valletta to win honours.

“I had great faith in the technical staff and, above all, the players. I felt that it was the right time for me to take charge of Valletta.

“There was pressure, especially at the beginning of the season, but looking back, it has been a tranquil year.

“The team showed great consistency from start to finish. We demonstrated that this was not going to be the third consecutive year that Valletta fail to win the championship.”

Zerafa’s motivation also stemmed from his successful playing career with his hometown club.

“For a player and coach to grow and reach their targets, they must find a club that also aims to be successful,” he said.

“I tried to follow the same path as when I was a player. I think that, when I joined Valletta, my profile as a player took a different dimension and I tried to do the same as a coach.

“I looked at my position... I wanted to start winning honours in my coaching career. It was the ideal team that, in my first year as (Valletta) coach, helped me to achieve this success. It’s like I’ve fulfilled a dream. If I had to go back in time, I would take the same decision.”

For Zerafa, all the work carried out during the pre-season played a big part in Valletta’s success.

“We’ve won the championship in a convincing fashion because we did our homework well,” Zerafa, 45, observed.

“I believe that the work you do before the start of the season, namely the type of players you want to bring in and those you want to offload to ensure that you have a competitive squad, is very important.

“All teams in the league were capable of offering a challenge to our team. Without doubt, we had the best squad and that was our target. There were no particular teams we feared because I always believed in my players.

“If anything, I felt that our opponents should fear us most, not the other way round.

“When you look back at how some teams played against us, tactically, you realise the potential in our squad. I am convinced that certain teams were overawed by the strength and qualities of Valletta before they played against us but the most important thing is that the players had faith in their abilities.”

After securing the Super Cup and Premier League, Valletta are now targeting a treble by winning the FA Trophy.

Tarxien stand between the Citizens and a third successive appearance in the final but club president Sciriha’s ambitions transcend the domestic landscape.

The season is not over but he has made no secret of his ambition to further strengthen the squad in order to improve the team’s chances of making their mark on the early rounds of the Champions League next season.

Sciriha’s desire to emulate the success of teams like Cypriot club Anorthosis Famagusta and Hapoel Tel Aviv, of Israel, who made it to the group stages, raises the bar for Zerafa and his charges.

“We have the semi-final against Tarxien but the Trophy is all about how you perform on the day,” Zerafa said.

“In the league, you can recover from a bad result in subsequent matches but that’s not possible in the Trophy. There are no favourites in cup ties as the best team is that which produces the better football on the day.

“There is great motivation to win the trophy because we want to do the double. Valletta have not won the double for several years and our objective is to achieve that this season.

“Our president is always looking to make this club bigger and better.

“Thanks to his backing, Valletta are now in a position he wanted the club to be in. As the president told the media, he has this wish to see Valletta make history for the club and Maltese football.

“We failed to do this by a whisker last season (Europa League) as we were knocked out after a 1-1 result at home and a 0-0 draw away (against Polish team Ruch Chorzow). With a bit of luck, we would have made it to the third qualifying round.

“However, to make inroads in Europe you must first get past the first round. The level of European football is different to that of the domestic league.

“The strength of European clubs, who are professional, is not the same as ours but with the squad we have, we can do it.

“This will also depend on the draw. We’re already working to improve our squad because our first target next season is the European competition. There will no break for the players. The games are near and certain leagues in Europe play throughout the summer while our championship is closed.

“We’re going to prepare well for these commitments. I’m eager to ensure that our squad becomes stronger so that we’re better equipped to face this challenge.”

Unsung heroes

Zerafa, who cut his coaching teeth with Tarxien before enjoying a very positive spell at Qormi, dedicated the title to all those connected to Valletta FC.

“As I said, this is a dream come true,” Zerafa enthused.

“There are many who have been of great help to me, people like Leonard Farrugia (assistant coach) and Jesmond Zammit (team manager). They deserve a lot of credit for the work we have done this season.

“It’s true, most of the time the attention is on the coach but these people also made a very important contribution.

“There was the committee and technical staff... to run a football team properly, you need a lot of people.

“The players, they are the key. Without them, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today.

“I also dedicate this title to the supporters for their backing... the Supporters’ Club who, financially, are one of the biggest sponsors of the club.

“My family, who have been an important part of my life and my career. I also want to mention those Valletta fans who passed away.

“They would surely have liked to share with us this special moment but, unfortunately, they are no longer here.

“Last but not least, the one who has shown the greatest faith in my abilities... the club president.

“It was not an easy choice for him to appoint me as coach but he has been very supportive. I dedicate this success to Mr Sciriha.”