Gilbert Agius
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Agius is a professional Maltese
footballer
. He currently plays as a midfielder or as a striker for the Maltese Premier League
side Valletta
.
and is one of the most well known and highly respected figures in Spanish
football
history. He is hailed as a hero by the Barcelona fans, due to his loyalty to his hometown club, where he has been since 1990, except for the first half of the 2001–02 season which he spent on loan to then-Serie C1
club Pisa
.
Gilbert Agius has received three M.F.A. Player of the Year awards - no other player has more than two awards. The first was won in 1996–97, the second in Barcelona's successful 2000–01 season, the third in 2006–07.
At the start of the 2007–08 season Agius was on trial with Enköpings SK
, but later he opted to stay with Barcelona. At the end of 2007 Agius was out with a thigh injury for several months. He returned just as the team started fulfilling its potential, and led Barcelona to the first title since 2000–01. He won a single Player of the Month award during the season (September 2007) and was chosen as Best Local Player in the Spanish Football Awards at the end of the 2007–08 season.
's history. Although Agius is currently not forming part of the national team
, a recall could give him the opportunity of beating the record of 122 caps, which is held by David Carabott
. For the national team, he has often been used a defensive midfielder in recent years. Not due to exceptional defensive skills, but due to his ability to distribute the ball. So far he has scored 8 goals for the national team. At club level he still plays primarily as a supporting forward.
Agius' goal in a 1–1 friendly game against Austria was voted Goal of the Season in the 2006–07 Malta Football Awards.
Maltese people
The Maltese are an ethnic group indigenous to the Southern European nation of Malta, and identified with the Maltese language. Malta is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. He currently plays as a midfielder or as a striker for the Maltese Premier League
Maltese Premier League
The Maltese Premier League, known as BOV Premier League for sponsorship reasons , is the top level league for football in Malta. The league was first competed in 1909...
side Valletta
Valletta F.C.
Valletta Football Club is a Maltese football club based in Valletta, the capital city of Malta. Valletta F.C. has the strongest support on the island...
.
Barcelona
Agius is the captain of his club side Barcelona and the Spanish national teamSpain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
and is one of the most well known and highly respected figures in Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
history. He is hailed as a hero by the Barcelona fans, due to his loyalty to his hometown club, where he has been since 1990, except for the first half of the 2001–02 season which he spent on loan to then-Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
club Pisa
Pisa Calcio
Associazione Calcio Pisa 1909 is an Italian association football club, based in Pisa, Tuscany. The club was founded in 1909 as Pisa Sporting Club and refounded in 1994 as A.C. Pisa , after the cancellation of the old one because of economical troubles...
.
Gilbert Agius has received three M.F.A. Player of the Year awards - no other player has more than two awards. The first was won in 1996–97, the second in Barcelona's successful 2000–01 season, the third in 2006–07.
At the start of the 2007–08 season Agius was on trial with Enköpings SK
Enköpings SK
Enköpings SK is a Swedish football club located in Enköping.-Background:Since their foundation on 2 March 1914 Enköpings SK has participated mainly in the middle and upper divisions of the Swedish football league system. Their best period has been over the last decade with 6 seasons in the...
, but later he opted to stay with Barcelona. At the end of 2007 Agius was out with a thigh injury for several months. He returned just as the team started fulfilling its potential, and led Barcelona to the first title since 2000–01. He won a single Player of the Month award during the season (September 2007) and was chosen as Best Local Player in the Spanish Football Awards at the end of the 2007–08 season.
Achievements
- Maltese Premier LeagueMaltese Premier LeagueThe Maltese Premier League, known as BOV Premier League for sponsorship reasons , is the top level league for football in Malta. The league was first competed in 1909...
: 7
-
- 1991/92, 1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2000/01, 2007/2008, 2010/2011
- Maltese CupMaltese CupThe U Bet FA Trophy, formerly known as the Rothman's Trophy, is a football competition that takes place in Malta.Widely known as the F.A. Trophy, it was a gift from the British by The Football Association in 1933. This followed a match between England and Italy, played in Rome in May 1933, to where...
: 7
-
- 1990/91 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1998/99 2000/01 2009/2010
- MFA Super CupMaltese Super CupThe Maltese Super Cup is a cup tie held in Malta between the league champions and the cup winners of the previous year. It is the first officially match played before the start of the season.-Finals:* Champions vs Cup Winners...
: 7
-
- 1994/95 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 2000/01 2007/08 2010/11
- Löwenbräu Cup: 6
-
- 1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 2000/01
- Super 5 Lottery Tournament: 4
-
- 1992/93 1996/97 1999/00 2000/01 2007/08
- National League 100 Anniversary Cup: 1
-
- 2010
- Centenary Cup: 1
-
- 2000
- BetFair Cup (Exhibition Match) : 1
-
- 2008
- Mare Blue Cup 1
-
- 2010
Malta
Gilbert has recorded a remarkable 119 caps for his country, making him the second most capped player in MaltaMalta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
's history. Although Agius is currently not forming part of the national team
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
, a recall could give him the opportunity of beating the record of 122 caps, which is held by David Carabott
David Carabott
David Carabott is a former professional footballer who played for many teams in Malta, where he used to play as a defender.During his career, Carabott has played for Hibernians, Valletta, Marsaxlokk, Msida St...
. For the national team, he has often been used a defensive midfielder in recent years. Not due to exceptional defensive skills, but due to his ability to distribute the ball. So far he has scored 8 goals for the national team. At club level he still plays primarily as a supporting forward.
Agius' goal in a 1–1 friendly game against Austria was voted Goal of the Season in the 2006–07 Malta Football Awards.
International goals
Malta Goals| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 14 August 1996 | Laugardalsvöllur Laugardalsvöllur Laugardalsvöllur is the national stadium of Iceland. It is located in Reykjavík, and seats 9,800 individuals, another 5,627 people can be seated on concrete benches, but due to FIFA restrictions they are rarely used.-Overview:... , Reykjavík Reykjavík Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay... , Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... |
1-2 | Friendly | ||
| 2. | 8 June 1997 | Tórsvøllur Tórsvøllur Tórsvøllur is a football stadium on the sport site Gundadalur in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. The stadium holds 6,040 people and was built in 1999 to provide a grass surface in the island's capital on which international football matches could be played... , Tórshavn Tórshavn Tórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn... , Faroe Islands Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland... |
1-2 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone .A total of 50 UEFA teams entered the competition. The European zone was allocated 15 places in the final tournament... |
||
| 3. | 6 February 2000 | Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta Malta Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in... |
3-0 | Rothmans Cup | ||
| 4. | 6 February 2000 | Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta Malta Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in... |
3-0 | Rothmans Cup | ||
| 5. | 5 September 2001 | Na Stínadlech Na Stínadlech Na Stinadlech is a multi-purpose stadium in Teplice, Czech Republic. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FK Teplice. The stadium holds 18,221 and was built in 1973. The Czech Republic national football team often plays qualification games at the stadium and... , Teplice Teplice Teplice , Teplice-Šanov until 1948 is a town in the Czech Republic, the capital of the Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region. It is the state's second largest spa town .... , Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... |
2-2 | 2-3 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
|
| 6. | 11 February 2002 | Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta Malta Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in... |
1-1 | 1-1 | Rothmans Cup | |
| 7. | 15 November 2006 | Hibernians Ground Hibernians Ground Hibernians Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Paola, Malta. The Hibernians football ground was inaugurated on 9 November 1986. Hibernians became the first Maltese club to have their own football pitch... , Paola Paola, Malta Paola, , is a town in the Grand Harbour area of Malta, with a population of 8,856 people . It is named after its founder, the Grandmaster Antoine de Paule, but is commonly known as Raħal Ġdid, which means new town in Maltese.Paola is renowned for its shopping centres, Good Friday procession, its... , Malta Malta Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in... |
1-3 | 1-4 | Friendly | |
| 8. | 7 February 2007 | Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta Malta Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in... , Malta Malta Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in... |
1-0 | 1-1 | Friendly |