Valletta: Who are Bala Town’s Europa League first qualifying round opponents?

Bala Town get their Europa League qualifying campaign underway this Thursday with a trip to Malta to play Valletta in the first qualifying round.

The Lakesiders finished third in the Cymru Premier last season to earn themselves a qualifying place in the competition.

The tie will consist of a one-off match because of the fixture congestion caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and will take place at the Centenary Stadium.

Our prior knowledge of the team is based entirely from their defeat over two legs to Newtown in 2015, so we have a taken a more in-depth look at the club.

Key information

Valletta are their country’s capital team, and they compete in the Maltese Premier League.

They finished second in the league last season, which has earned them this shot at Europa League qualifying.

Nicknamed the Lilywhites, Valletta were founded in 1943 and are one of Malta’s most successful club sides having won 25 league titles, 14 FA trophies and 13 Maltese Super Cups.

They play their home games at the Ta Qali Football Stadium, otherwise known as the Centenary Stadium, a 17,000-seater ground that is also the headquarters of the Maltese national team.

European record

Valletta have a long history in European competition that stretches back to 1963.

However, their record is not as impressive as their longevity. They have played a total of 99 games in Europe, and have won just 13 times, with 17 draws, 69 defeats and a goal difference of -180.

Valletta do have history when it comes to playing Welsh teams. In the 1999-2000 season, they beat Barry Town United 3-2 on aggregate in the first round of Champions League qualifying.

In 2015, however, they lost 4-2 on aggregate to Newtown in the first round of Europa League qualifying.

Last season’s European campaign saw them make it to the third round of Europa League qualifying before being humbled 9-1 on aggregate by Kazakhstani champions Astana.

The manager

Valletta are coached by Jesmond Zerafa, a former striker of the club who also won 21 caps for Malta.

Zerafa recently joined the club for his second spell as coach, having first taken charge in 2010.

The 55-year-old has coached six different sides in his managerial career, all within the Maltese leagues. His longest tenure was with current Maltese Premier League side Qormi, who he helped gain promotion in 2007.

Ones to watch

Valletta do not possess an abundance of talent, they rely more on their ability as a unit to win games rather than on individuals. However, there are a couple of players that Colin Caton’s side should be wary of.

Mario Fontanella

If there is one player to single out from the Lilywhites, it’s their experienced centre forward Mario Fontanella.

The 31-year-old is by far Valletta’s most dangerous goal threat having scored 17 times in 29 games in all competitions for the club last season. Since joining Valletta in 2018, the Italian has found the back of the net 40 times in 66 appearances, which highlights his ability.

Fontanella started his career with Napoli’s youth side and, in his one season with the under-19’s, he recorded four goals in 14 games. His talent for scoring goals is clear and the Lakesiders will have to keep a close eye on the striker for sure.

Emny Pena

Another player to watch out for is the central midfielder Emny Pena of the Dominican Republic. The 27-year-old is a confident dribbler and not afraid to take risks.

Whilst playing for First Division Maltese side St Andrews in 2016, Pena scored a great solo goal which saw him run the full length of the pitch, before performing a roulette and nutmegging a player to slot the ball into the corner.

(Featured Image: Marie-Lan Nguyen)