Valletta were knocked out by Azerbaijan’s Qarabag in the Champions League.

The image of Maltese football has taken a blow after the national team’s shock 1-0 defeat to Gibraltar in a friendly last month and local clubs failed to provide a much-needed boost in Europe after falling by the wayside at the first hurdle.

In the Europa League, Hibernians were on the receiving end of a 9-2 hiding to Slovakia’s Spartak Trnava while Birkirkara faltered at home, going down 4-1 to Hungary’s Diosgyor after a 2-1 defeat in the away leg.

Of the teams flying the Maltese flag in Europe, only Sliema Wanderers emerged with their reputation intact after coming close to upsetting Ferencvaros.

The home leg ended in a 1-1 draw but the Blues should have won as they created a host of scoring chances and also missed a first-half penalty.

In Budapest, they lost narrowly 2-1.

Valletta suffered a 5-0 aggregate defeat to Azerbaijan’s FK Qarabag in the second qualifying round of the Champions League.

The Maltese champions had given a good account of themselves in the first leg, losing 1-0 at Ta’ Qali.

The return match, played last Tuesday in Baku, turned into a nightmare for the Whites who conceded four goals and finished the game with nine men.

The perpetual failures of the Maltese teams to make their mark in Europe have been largely blamed on a lack of a professional set-up, inadequate preparations and limited financial resources.

Rafael Carrascosa, the CEO of Insignia Global Cards Business, sponsors of Valletta, sees potential in Maltese clubs but bemoaned a number of inhibiting factors which the Malta FA are trying to address.

“Looking at the World Cup, there were small countries, like Bosnia & Herzegovina, who did well to reach the finals,” Carrascosa told Times of Malta.

“Looking at the performances of the Maltese teams in Europe, it is pertinent to ask – what needs to be done for Maltese football to reach the next level?

“Valletta did well in the first leg. They showed good organisation but they still need some players in key positions.

“The problem with Maltese football is that, going forward, there are no remedies.

“There is no proper infrastructure and the training facilities of some clubs are limited.

“There is also the issue of salary caps.

“If you limit the wages, you can’t attract good players.

“At the same time, the regulations are, to a certain extent, encouraging some clubs to hire players on ‘illegal’ wages and, by doing this, you are creating a vicious, black circle.”

Carrascosa is convinced that the situation will improve significantly “from the moment clubs become a company rather than a ghost entity”.

In January, Insignia’s decision to sponsor the recruitment of coach Andre Paus and a host of new foreigners helped to revive Valletta’s season as they went on to complete a league and cup double.

Faced with a question as to why Insignia have not been involved in Valletta’s transfer campaign in the close season, Carrascosa replied: “It’s difficult to attract players of a European standard.

“The level of the domestic competition must be improved not only to lure better foreigners but also to help the local players reach a higher level.

“The MFA is willing to raise the level of local football but if you don’t have proper regulations, you can’t lure investors and high-level players.”

Having the right set-up and infrastructure is also central to the long-term progress of Maltese clubs.

“This is one of the main problems,” Carra-scosa said.

“I mean, you can’t catch big fish if you don’t have a boat. It’s all about strengthening the base.

“There is interest to build but this can only be done through a collective effort involving the association, clubs, players and possibly investors.

“There is always talk (about interest from investors) but when people come and see what they are going to get, they are not impressed.”