Gareth Sciberras (right) and Paul Fenech kiss the BOV Premier League trophy during Birkirkara’s celebrations on Saturday.

Heartened by Birkirkara’s amazing title triumph, club president Joe Zammit is already planning to strengthen the squad for next season.

Birkirkara secured their fourth Premier League crown after coming from a goal down to beat Hibernians 3-1 in a dramatic decider.

“This has been a long and tiring campaign on the pitch in a very difficult administrative year for us,” Zammit said.

“Birkirkara finished on top after 11 finals and we deservedly clinched the title.

“We have come a long way and every player in the Premier League now admires Birkirkara.

“We hand-pick our players and when we identify a potential target, we do our best to convince him to join us.

“Now the players will go for a break and together with (coach) Paul Zammit, the committee will go back to the drawing board to further strengthen our squad.”

Saturday’s win was not as straightforward as the 3-1 scoreline suggests. Birkirkara played second fiddle to Hibernians who took a deserved lead in the first half but they were a transformed side in the second, hitting three goals in 16 minutes to throw the Paolites into disarray.

The decision to switch Edward Herrera from the left wing to his favoured position on the right was key to Birkirkara’s fightback.

Paul Zammit, the Birkirkara coach, said he decided to start with Herrera on the left to counter Marcelo Dias but his side’s tame first-half display prompted him to change at half-time.

“We were aware of the threat posed by Marcelo Dias’s flair and therefore studied the counter-measures to try and stop him,” Zammit said.

“I switched Edward Herrera to the left to try and neutralise Dias but we didn’t play well in the first half.

“We changed a few things at half-time and went back to a four-man defence but it was the formidable team spirit that drove us forward after the break.

“This group has an extra weapon to call upon – we have a versatile squad. Through hard work, we now have a tactical awareness we didn’t have before. That allows us to switch systems according to the opponents.”

Midway into the season, Zammit introduced a new strategy based on a three-man defence and this proved key to Birkirkara’s success.

While lauding his three central defenders, Nikola Vukanac, Alejandro Mendoza and Rodrigo Pereira, Zammit said the return of Pereira midway into the season was crucial.

“Back in January, I asked the president (Joe Zammit) to try and re-sign Rodrigo Pereira with the intention of deploying three at the back, knowing that the Brazilian can play in various roles.

“This set-up gave us defensive solidity.”

For captain Gareth Sciberras, Saturday’s title decider mirrored Birkirkara’s up-and-down season.

“This decider was a rollercoaster of emotions which, in a way, mirrored our season, full of ups and downs,” Sciberras said.

“This match evoked very strong emotions I never thought I’d experience in my whole career.

“The referee was right to award the penalty (from which Hibs took the lead) as the ball did hit my arm. I want to thank my team-mates for coming to my rescue.

“At half-time, in the dressing room, we looked at each other and all agreed that we could not let our numerous supporters down. In the second half, we made a strong comeback.

“I would like to dedicate the biggest win in my career to my late parents.

“We have a very strong, complete squad and this was a deserved success.”

Zach Muscat was delighted to end his first season at Birkirkara with a championship medal.

“It’s a great feeling to win the title in my first season in the Premier League,” the Malta U-21 international said.

“The coach has shown great faith in my qualities and I hope I’ve repaid his trust. When he picked me to replace Joseph Zerafa, I was confident of doing a good job.

“It was great to score. I had a good feeling about my scoring chances since, after the short corner, I kept pushing up front rather than dropping back.”

Peter Pullicino, Zammit’s assistant, said winning the first league title of his coaching career in a decider against his former club felt a bit weird.

“It’s a bit weird that I’ve won my first league as coach against my former club with whom I won my first league as player,” Pullicino said.

“It’s true that it was Patrick Curmi (Zammit’s predecessor) who brought me to Birkirkara as his assistant but I was confirmed when Paul Zammit was appointed coach.

“At first, I needed time to get used to Paul’s systems but we have a very open relationship and a common football philosophy.”