Malta suits Sliema star

By Domenic Aquilina

If Paul Gascoigne still harbours ambitions of playing top-level football, then the former English international could do worse than listen to a reported offer from the Maltese Premier League side Marsaxlokk FC.

Ringing endorsement
That was the message from another much-travelled footballer who has extended his career well beyond his 30th birthday with a stay on the Mediterranean island. Indeed, Yugoslavian forward Danilo Doncic, a veteran of assorted clubs across the continent, provided a ringing endorsement of the Maltese competition saying: "Maltese clubs can achieve good results not only in the [UEFA] Champions League but in the other UEFA club competitions as well."

Praise for Valletta
Doncic should know. The 33-year-old former OFK Beograd and FC Lokomotiv Sofia player chose to return to Malta last season after a spell in Portugal with third-division Imortal Desportivo Clube. Previously with Valletta FC, he joined Sliema Wanderers FC and justified the move by finishing top scorer in 2001/02 with a record 32 goals. "I had three brilliant seasons at Valletta," he told uefa.com, "but when you are a professional there is no place for emotion. I have good memories of Valletta and the people there, but when you sign for a new club, that club is your new home."

Century of goals
And a place where the goals continue to flow. Doncic achieved a century of them in the Maltese top flight with a double strike in the match against Birkirkara FC six weeks ago, and added two more to that tally against Hamrun Spartans FC at the weekend. "There is no secret," he said of his success. "Maybe I have adapted well to the game here in Malta. If you work hard then your quality, sooner or later, will show. But this is my fifth season here, so I think that is the main reason."

Sliema hold sway
Doncic's goals have also helped Sliema establish a lead at the top of the Premier League table which currently stands at ten points. He is confident they can go on and capture the title last won in 1996. "At the moment I cannot see any reason why we cannot make it," he said. "We have a very good squad, good coaches, a hard-working committee behind us - we only have to show it on the field of play."

European dream
Any championship success would provide a route into the Champions League via the qualifying rounds. And Doncic admitted the chance to play among the European élite "would mean a lot both to the club and to the players". He added: "It is a totally different game from the domestic league. I have played ten times in UEFA club competitions, but it is difficult for us in Malta because a lot of the players are not full-time professionals so the level of training and the level of pre-season are different from abroad. Physicially we find it more difficult, but even in the last few years, Maltese teams have improved and shown quality and given a hard time to the big teams."

Future success
With a nod to last season's champions Hibernians FC - conquerors of Irish champions Shelbourne FC but beaten by Portuguese side Boavista FC in the second qualifying round - Doncic added: "There was a club who passed the first round - so in the future, with some new concept of training and preseason, Maltese clubs can achieve good results." With or without Gazza.