Preparing to face the past! Malta takes on historic football rivals Spain tomorrow
It was one of the darkest days in Malta’s footballing history. A humiliating 12-1 defeat by Spain, who went on to qualify for the 1984 European Championships. And now, almost 35 years on, both the players and the fans are gearing up to do battle all over again.
Maltese players celebrating a goal last year / Chris Sant Fournier
Head-to-head
Tomorrow, Spain and Malta will go head-to-head at Ta’ Qali National Stadium in a bid to qualify for the European Championships in 2020. Malta currently ranks fifth place in Group F, while Spain ranks third – making Spain the favourite to win. But that isn’t stopping Malta’s fans from staying hopeful.
“Everyone is very excited,” says Joe Attard, Secretary General for Valletta FC. “We think we stand a chance after beating the Faroe Islands 2-1 last week. All the tickets for the match have sold out and people keep calling me trying to see if I can find them one. As well as cheering for Malta, fans are looking forward to seeing international players like Manchester United Goalkeeper David De Gea, Real Madrid Captain Sergio Ramos and Atletico Madrid Striker Alvaro Borja Morata who play for Spain.”
Malta Vs Spain 1984 / EFE PA Images
Bad memories
But will Tuesday’s match bring back troubling memories of that devastating defeat in Seville in 1984? After that game, many rumours circulated about why Malta lost, including a claim by team members that they were drugged by a small man dressed in a white coat who offered them lemons at half-time.
"It was like we were drunk. Like going out to Paceville and then getting a good sleep," former player Silvio Demanuele told a Spanish TV show last year. In the same programme, former coach Victor Scerri - who’s now 89 - talked about being on the sidelines of that match in 1984. “I said to the doctor, ‘Could they have been drugged?' Because they lost their minds in the second half."
“I was in my 20s when that match was played,” continues Joe. “It was a terrible thrashing and I remember feeling very hurt and sad afterwards, but these are just rumours. Anything can happen in football. Just last week, Manchester United was beaten by a third division team. So, we’ll see what happens on Tuesday.”