St. Andrews FC Malta held its official Season 2026/27 Team Launch at the Palm Suites InterContinental Hotel Malta, bringing together players, coaching staff, sponsors, partners and members of the press to present the club’s new-look senior squad and a wide-ranging development plan for the next three seasons.
A Club Rebuilding From the Ground Up
Addressing guests, club President Captain Nigel James Dunkerley reflected on a turbulent recent period for the club, describing the previous three seasons as a “roller coaster” that included narrow escapes from relegation to a respectable top half table finish last season. Following the conclusion of last season, a new committee moved quickly to reset the club’s direction, prioritising long-term player and organisational development, identifying senior potential among the club’s youth ranks, and making key staffing appointments within weeks.
The squad for 2026/27 has been rebuilt through a combination of returning former players, new signings, and youth players promoted from the club’s academy into the senior team, alongside changes to the coaching staff.
Founded in 1968, St. Andrews FC now operates from facilities spanning more than 15,000 square metres, drawing over 290,000 visitors annually. The club’s Luxol Football Academy counts more than 650 students.
Technical Vision for the Season Ahead
Head Coach Marko Rajic outlined his approach for the senior team, describing a squad built on a blend of promoted academy players and experienced local and foreign talent, with new signings added to strengthen every line. The 2026/27 squad comprises 23 players across four positional groups: two goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and five forwards with an average age of 20.4.
Rajic detailed a structured framework underpinning the technical programme, built around a clear code of conduct, defined training protocols, and a consistent feedback system, supported by clearly assigned coaching roles, ongoing staff education, and regular assessment of both coaching methods and player development.
He also emphasised closer integration between the club’s youth and senior levels, including joint training sessions, an explicit pathway for youth players into the first team, and daily performance monitoring to allow training plans to be adjusted on an ongoing basis.
On behalf of Head Goalkeeper Coach Nikola Milojevic spoke on the specialised development of the club’s goalkeepers, highlighting encouraging progress among both youth and senior goalkeepers over recent seasons.
Corporate Structure, Investment and Community
The club’s leadership also set out plans to modernise its corporate structure, with responsibilities across operations, marketing, technical, talent identification and resource management to be allocated according to individual strengths within the committee. Plans presented included expanded medical and performance support among them GPS tracking, video analysis and injury prevention protocols with continued reinvestment in infrastructure, equipment and staff training, and a stronger focus on marketing, sponsorship and commercial partnerships.
The club also addressed challenges it faces around community identity and rising operating costs, and outlined a response centred on strengthening ties to Luxol as a fixed home for supporters, aligning branding and messaging across every level of the club, and pursuing multi-season financial planning.
A central ambition discussed was the club’s long-term goal of returning its Challenge League home matches to Luxol Stadium, restoring the ground as the traditional home of St. Andrews FC. The club confirmed it is in active discussions with the Malta Football Association on this matter, alongside separate discussions with shareholders and interested local and foreign parties regarding broader infrastructure investment.
The club also introduced its growing roster of commercial partners, including Laferla, Form Ltd, Team Sport, vOCO by IHG, Lumi, InterContinental Malta and 897BAY, with further partnerships said to be under active discussion across retail, IT, telecommunications, automotive and hospitality sectors.
Closing Remarks
Closing the event, club representatives reaffirmed St. Andrews FC’s founding mission: to grow and improve the quality of its Academy and field competitive teams at every age group through to senior level, within a safe environment, guided by the values of Sport, Commitment, Teamwork, Honesty and Fun. The launch concluded with a networking reception for players, staff, sponsors and guests