Michael Mifsud
Encyclopedia
Michael Mifsud is a Maltese
footballer. He is the captain of the Malta national football team
, and currently plays for Valletta
. He was voted Maltese Sports Person of the Year in 2001 and 2003.
, Mifsud made his debut during the 1997–98 season. In his first season, Mifsud made six appearances and scored once, helping Sliema Wanderers to a 3rd-place finish in the Maltese Premier League
.
The 1998–99 season saw Mifsud make the breakthrough and become a first-team regular. Mifsud was quickly becoming one of the hottest properties in Maltese football. He made 23 appearances and scored eight goals, as Sliema Wanderers again recorded a 3rd-place finish in the Maltese Premier League.
Mifsud's form the previous season led to a trial with English giants Manchester United
in July 1999. However, the trial did not led to a permanent move and Mifsud returned to Sliema Wanderers for the 1999–2000 season. The failure to secure the move to Manchester United did not affect Mifsud, who was in fine goalscoring form for Sliema Wanderers, netting 21 times in 28 outings. The club finished in 4th position in the Maltese Premier League that season.
With interest in Mifsud growing, the 2000–01 season proved to be his last with the club. Mifsud helped the club to a 2nd-place finish in the Maltese Premier League, making 25 appearances and scoring an impressive 20 goals.
club Kaiserslautern
to his potential and he signed for the club in the summer of 2001. He was a regular scorer with the B team in the amateur leagues and also made some appearances for the senior team in the Bundesliga, scoring two goals.
club Lillestrøm
, where he was at one stage voted the best foreign player in the league. He was the club's top scorer in the 2006 season with 11 goals in 19 appearances.
On 5 November 2006, the last day of the Norwegian League, he declared that he has set his heart on a move to one of the top European leagues. The previous summer, Lillestrøm had turned down an offer for Mifsud from English club Coventry City
despite knowing that the striker would be able to move for free in January 2007 as his contract was due to run out at the end of December.
He declined to renew his contract with Lillestrøm to fulfill his wish to turn out for a club in a major European league.
, as he was looking for new strikers in Norway. On 10 January 2007, Mifsud signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Coventry City in the Football League Championship
in England. However, Adams was sacked two days later. Mifsud made his début for Coventry City on 13 January 2007 in a Football League Championship match at home to Crystal Palace
.
Mifsud scored his first goal for Coventry City on 22 January 2007, after coming on as a substitute in an away game against Plymouth Argyle
. He then scored his second goal for Coventry in 4–1 defeat of Barnsley
. He also scored at Turf Moor
on 6 May 2007 against Burnley
. During another impressive display, he scored a goal against Sheffield Wednesday
and won the goal of the season for Coventry City.
In the third round of the 2007–08 League Cup, on 26 September 2007, Mifsud scored two goals to give Coventry City an unexpected 2–0 victory over Premier League champions, Manchester United, his boyhood team, at Old Trafford
. La Gazzetta dello Sport
nicknamed him as Il Messi
Di Malta after the match.
After this success, Mifsud continued to excel. He was instrumental in Coventry City's draw with Charlton Athletic
on 29 September 2007, scoring his third goal in two games. On 2 October 2007, Coventry City secured a 3–1 league win against Blackpool
, the second goal again coming from Mifsud. In this same match, Mifsud was fouled in the box and the resultant penalty was scored by Coventry City's Michael Doyle
. Furthermore, Blackpool's Kaspars Gorkss
was shown the red card for a foul on Dele Adebola
, after a Mifsud through ball.
On 12 November, Mifsud was sent off after 11 minutes of a Midlands
derby against West Bromwich Albion
, after elbowing Carl Hoefkens
in the face. Mifsud later apologised for the elbow on Hoefkens. On 4 December, Mifsud returned from his three-match ban to face West Bromwich Albion again. Mifsud scored two goals and increasing his tally to 15 goals for the season with the Sky Blues.
On 5 January 2008, Mifsud scored two goals in the FA Cup
in Coventry City's thrashing of Premier League Blackburn Rovers
at Ewood Park
. For his performance, Mifsud was named as the player of the third round by visitors to the Football Association's website, for which he was made a guest of the FA at the 2008 FA Cup Final
. On 26 January, Mifsud scored Coventry's second goal in their FA Cup fourth round win against Millwall
.
On 23 April 2008, Mifsud was named as the runner-up for the Coventry City player of the year award by the clubs' fans. The winner was Jay Tabb
, who scored 84% of the votes. However, Mifsud got most of the remaining 16%.
On 23 July 2008, Coventry City
accepted an undisclosed bid for Mifsud from Bristol City
. On 29 July 2008, Bristol City announced that, following negotiations, in which manager Gary Johnson
questioned Mifsud's commitment, they would not be proceeding with his signing. After a string of good performances, Mifsud eventually worked his way back into the Coventry City side. Mifsud failed to hit the back of the net regularly during his last season, as he was mostly played as a winger. On 30 June 2009, Mifsud's Coventry City contract expired and he was subsequently released after becoming surplus to requirements by manager Chris Coleman
.
on loan until the end of the season on 2 February 2009 on the same day as Andranik Teymourian
and Adam Hammill
joining fellow Malta team-mate Daniel Bogdanovic
at Oakwell. On 10 March 2009, Mifsud scored his first goal for his new club in a 1–1 draw at Oakwell against Birmingham Ciry
. Mifsud scored his second goal for Barnsley on 18 March 2009, scoring the third goal in a 3–1 win against Crystal Palace.
until the end of the 2009–10 season.
He made his debut for Valletta on 19 March 2010, against Qormi leaving his mark in the Citizens 3–0 win. Mifsud scored the third goal with a placed first timer. He failed to score in what would prove to be the decisive game against Birkirkara in the following round, but then scored consecutive hat-tricks against Tarxien Rainbows
in the league and against fierce rivals Floriana in the 100 Anniversary Cup Final. He scored a goal in each of the following three Premier Division games, before again failing to score against Birkirkara. He finished the season with seven goals in seven Premier Division games, two goals in three MFA Trophy games, four goals in two MFA Anniversary Cup games – a total of 13 goals in 12 games.
at the end of the 2009–10 season, Mifsud once again became a free agent. There were speculations that he wanted to resume his career in England or another country. Mifsud reportedly received interest from the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer
in America, from various clubs in the Italian Serie B
and was even offered a contract by AEK Larnaca
, besides being linked with a possible return to Valletta.
, a result that meant Qormi would have to play in the relegation pool.
, penning a four-year contract.
on 10 February 2000 against Albania
in the National Stadium, Ta' Qali
.
He is considered as one of the most prominent players Malta has ever produced. He was instrumental in Malta's victory against Hungary
in the Euro 2008 qualifiers
, the country's first competitive home victory since 1982.
On 27 March 2008, Mifsud scored five goals for Malta in a 7–1 friendly win over Liechtenstein
, completing a hat-trick
within just 21 minutes of the kickoff. On 3 March 2010, he surpassed Carmel Busuttil
's goalscoring record with the national team, as Mifsud hit the back of the net for Malta in an exhibition match against Finland
, which finished in a 1–2 loss for the locals.
Goals marked with an asterisk (*) were penalty kicks.
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...
footballer. He is the captain of the Malta national football 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...
, and currently plays for 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...
. He was voted Maltese Sports Person of the Year in 2001 and 2003.
Sliema Wanderers
A product of Sliema WanderersSliema Wanderers F.C.
Sliema Wanderers Football Club are a Maltese football team from the town of Sliema, which currently plays in the Maltese Premier League.-History:The club was founded in 1909...
, Mifsud made his debut during the 1997–98 season. In his first season, Mifsud made six appearances and scored once, helping Sliema Wanderers to a 3rd-place finish in 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...
.
The 1998–99 season saw Mifsud make the breakthrough and become a first-team regular. Mifsud was quickly becoming one of the hottest properties in Maltese football. He made 23 appearances and scored eight goals, as Sliema Wanderers again recorded a 3rd-place finish in the Maltese Premier League.
Mifsud's form the previous season led to a trial with English giants Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in July 1999. However, the trial did not led to a permanent move and Mifsud returned to Sliema Wanderers for the 1999–2000 season. The failure to secure the move to Manchester United did not affect Mifsud, who was in fine goalscoring form for Sliema Wanderers, netting 21 times in 28 outings. The club finished in 4th position in the Maltese Premier League that season.
With interest in Mifsud growing, the 2000–01 season proved to be his last with the club. Mifsud helped the club to a 2nd-place finish in the Maltese Premier League, making 25 appearances and scoring an impressive 20 goals.
Kaiserslautern
His form earned him his first call up to the national team, and this alerted the BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
club Kaiserslautern
1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900...
to his potential and he signed for the club in the summer of 2001. He was a regular scorer with the B team in the amateur leagues and also made some appearances for the senior team in the Bundesliga, scoring two goals.
Sliema Wanderers
Mifsud failed to make the grade with Kaiserslautern A team and his wish for regular first-team football meant he was released in the winter of 2004. He re-signed for Sliema Wanderers for the remainder of the 2004–05 season. Mifsud went on to make 12 appearances and score eight goals, helping Sliema Wanderers to retain the Maltese Premier League title.Lillestrøm
In the summer of 2005, he was snapped up by Norwegian Premier LeagueNorwegian Premier League
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
club Lillestrøm
Lillestrøm S.K.
Lillestrøm Sportsklubb is a Norwegian football club from the city of Lillestrøm. It was founded in 1917, after the merger of two local football clubs. Their home ground is Åråsen Stadion, while the principal training ground is Lillestrøm stadion, or the indoor arena, LSK-Hallen...
, where he was at one stage voted the best foreign player in the league. He was the club's top scorer in the 2006 season with 11 goals in 19 appearances.
On 5 November 2006, the last day of the Norwegian League, he declared that he has set his heart on a move to one of the top European leagues. The previous summer, Lillestrøm had turned down an offer for Mifsud from English club Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
despite knowing that the striker would be able to move for free in January 2007 as his contract was due to run out at the end of December.
He declined to renew his contract with Lillestrøm to fulfill his wish to turn out for a club in a major European league.
Coventry City
Mifsud was spotted by the ex-manager of Coventry City, Micky AdamsMicky Adams
Michael Richard "Micky" Adams is an English former professional footballer turned football manager who is in charge of League Two side Port Vale. As a player he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen year professional career in the Football League, including five...
, as he was looking for new strikers in Norway. On 10 January 2007, Mifsud signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Coventry City in the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
in England. However, Adams was sacked two days later. Mifsud made his début for Coventry City on 13 January 2007 in a Football League Championship match at home to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
.
Mifsud scored his first goal for Coventry City on 22 January 2007, after coming on as a substitute in an away game against Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
. He then scored his second goal for Coventry in 4–1 defeat of Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
. He also scored at Turf Moor
Turf Moor
Turf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of...
on 6 May 2007 against Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
. During another impressive display, he scored a goal against Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
and won the goal of the season for Coventry City.
In the third round of the 2007–08 League Cup, on 26 September 2007, Mifsud scored two goals to give Coventry City an unexpected 2–0 victory over Premier League champions, Manchester United, his boyhood team, at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
. La Gazzetta dello Sport
La Gazzetta dello Sport
La Gazzetta dello Sport is an Italian newspaper dedicated to coverage of various sports. It was first published on April 3, 1896, allowing it to cover the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens...
nicknamed him as Il Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
Di Malta after the match.
After this success, Mifsud continued to excel. He was instrumental in Coventry City's draw with Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
on 29 September 2007, scoring his third goal in two games. On 2 October 2007, Coventry City secured a 3–1 league win against Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, the second goal again coming from Mifsud. In this same match, Mifsud was fouled in the box and the resultant penalty was scored by Coventry City's Michael Doyle
Michael Doyle (footballer)
Michael Paul Doyle is an Irish footballer currently playing for Sheffield United. Doyle is known for his workrate and his tough tackling style. He started his career at Celtic and has also played in Denmark for AGF Aarhus...
. Furthermore, Blackpool's Kaspars Gorkss
Kaspars Gorkšs
Kaspars Gorkšs is a Latvian footballer who plays for Reading as a defender. He is also a regular with the Latvia national team.-Club career:...
was shown the red card for a foul on Dele Adebola
Dele Adebola
Bamberdele "Dele" Adebola is a Nigerian footballer, who plays as a striker for Hull City.-Early life:...
, after a Mifsud through ball.
On 12 November, Mifsud was sent off after 11 minutes of a Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
derby against West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, after elbowing Carl Hoefkens
Carl Hoefkens
Carl Hoefkens is a Belgian footballer who is playing in Club Brugge.-Early career:Born in Lier, Belgium, Hoefkens started his career at K. Lierse S.K. and played there for six years. He made his breakthrough with Lierse in first class and won the Belgian Cup in 1999, beating Standard Liège in the...
in the face. Mifsud later apologised for the elbow on Hoefkens. On 4 December, Mifsud returned from his three-match ban to face West Bromwich Albion again. Mifsud scored two goals and increasing his tally to 15 goals for the season with the Sky Blues.
On 5 January 2008, Mifsud scored two goals in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in Coventry City's thrashing of Premier League Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
. For his performance, Mifsud was named as the player of the third round by visitors to the Football Association's website, for which he was made a guest of the FA at the 2008 FA Cup Final
2008 FA Cup Final
The 2008 FA Cup Final was a football match held at Wembley Stadium on 17 May 2008 and was the final match of the 2007–08 FA Cup competition. The match was the 127th FA Cup Final, and the second to be held at the new Wembley Stadium since its redevelopment. The match was contested by Portsmouth and...
. On 26 January, Mifsud scored Coventry's second goal in their FA Cup fourth round win against Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
.
On 23 April 2008, Mifsud was named as the runner-up for the Coventry City player of the year award by the clubs' fans. The winner was Jay Tabb
Jay Tabb
Jay Anthony Tabb is an English-born Irish professional footballer who plays for Reading.Tabb has played as right back, on both wings, in central midfield, and as centre forward...
, who scored 84% of the votes. However, Mifsud got most of the remaining 16%.
On 23 July 2008, Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
accepted an undisclosed bid for Mifsud from Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
. On 29 July 2008, Bristol City announced that, following negotiations, in which manager Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson may refer to:*Gary Johnson , former Governor of New Mexico and candidate for President in 2012*Gary Johnson , American politician, Wisconsin State Assembly...
questioned Mifsud's commitment, they would not be proceeding with his signing. After a string of good performances, Mifsud eventually worked his way back into the Coventry City side. Mifsud failed to hit the back of the net regularly during his last season, as he was mostly played as a winger. On 30 June 2009, Mifsud's Coventry City contract expired and he was subsequently released after becoming surplus to requirements by manager Chris Coleman
Chris Coleman (footballer)
Christopher "Chris" Coleman is a Welsh football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Greek Side Larissa....
.
Barnsley
Mifsud joined BarnsleyBarnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
on loan until the end of the season on 2 February 2009 on the same day as Andranik Teymourian
Andranik Teymourian
Andranik Timotian-Samarani , more commonly known as Andranik "Ando" Teymourian is an Armenian Iranian footballer. He usually plays as a defensive midfielder, but can also play as a side midfielder. He is notably the only Christian footballer in the Iranian national team.-Early career:Andranik was...
and Adam Hammill
Adam Hammill
Adam James Hammill is an English footballer of Irish descent who plays as a winger for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
joining fellow Malta team-mate Daniel Bogdanovic
Daniel Bogdanovic
Danijel Bogdanović , more commonly spelled Daniel Bogdanović, is a Maltese professional footballer of Serb descent who plays as a striker for Blackpool.- Playing career :...
at Oakwell. On 10 March 2009, Mifsud scored his first goal for his new club in a 1–1 draw at Oakwell against Birmingham Ciry
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. Mifsud scored his second goal for Barnsley on 18 March 2009, scoring the third goal in a 3–1 win against Crystal Palace.
Valletta
Mifsud remained a free agent for the last half of 2009 and the start of 2010, even though he was still an automatic choice for the national team. He finally joined Maltese club VallettaValletta 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...
until the end of the 2009–10 season.
He made his debut for Valletta on 19 March 2010, against Qormi leaving his mark in the Citizens 3–0 win. Mifsud scored the third goal with a placed first timer. He failed to score in what would prove to be the decisive game against Birkirkara in the following round, but then scored consecutive hat-tricks against Tarxien Rainbows
Tarxien Rainbows F.C.
Tarxien Rainbows Football Club are a football team from Tarxien, a town in southern Malta. They currently play in the Maltese Premier League.The club were founded as Little Rainbows in 1944, and participated in the Maltese Premier League for the 2009–10 season. The club was promoted to the best...
in the league and against fierce rivals Floriana in the 100 Anniversary Cup Final. He scored a goal in each of the following three Premier Division games, before again failing to score against Birkirkara. He finished the season with seven goals in seven Premier Division games, two goals in three MFA Trophy games, four goals in two MFA Anniversary Cup games – a total of 13 goals in 12 games.
Return to inactivity
After his brief stint with Maltese club VallettaValletta 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...
at the end of the 2009–10 season, Mifsud once again became a free agent. There were speculations that he wanted to resume his career in England or another country. Mifsud reportedly received interest from the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
in America, from various clubs in the Italian Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
and was even offered a contract by AEK Larnaca
AEK Larnaca
AEK Larnaca FC |Kition]] Athletic Union") is a Cypriot Sports club, based in the port of Larnaca. The club was formed in 1994 after a merger of two Larnaca clubs: EPA Larnaca and Pezoporikos. The club has football section, basketball sections for men AEK Larnaca B.C...
, besides being linked with a possible return to Valletta.
Qormi
Michael Mifsud was to sign with Floriana on 30 January 2010. This move did not materialise and led to the resignation of Floriana's president, Johann Said. However, the player finally reached an agreement with Qormi with whom he will play until the end of the Maltese football season. Mifsud debuted for Qormi with a hat trick and a man of the match performance against Birkirkara. The match finished 4–1 for Qormi. The following round saw him failing to score in Qormi's 2–2 draw against MarsaxlokkMarsaxlokk F.C.
Marsaxlokk Football Club is a Maltese football club from the town of Marsaxlokk, which currently plays in the Maltese Premier League. The club was founded in 1949...
, a result that meant Qormi would have to play in the relegation pool.
Valletta
On 5 July 2011, after much speculation about his future, Mifsud signed for VallettaValletta 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...
, penning a four-year contract.
Malta
Mifsud made his first appearance under Josip Ilić's Malta national teamMalta 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...
on 10 February 2000 against Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
in the National Stadium, Ta' Qali
Ta'Qali Stadium
Ta' Qali National Stadium is the national stadium of Malta, and is the home stadium of the Malta national football team. It stages most Maltese Premier League and cup matches, as well as international matches...
.
He is considered as one of the most prominent players Malta has ever produced. He was instrumental in Malta's victory against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
in the Euro 2008 qualifiers
2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
This page describes the qualifying procedure for the UEFA Euro 2008.- Seedings :Qualification coefficients were used to rank the teams according to their results in both UEFA Euro 2004 and FIFA World Cup 2006 qualifying stages. Only the group matches, and not any additional playoffs, counted...
, the country's first competitive home victory since 1982.
On 27 March 2008, Mifsud scored five goals for Malta in a 7–1 friendly win over Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein national football team
The Liechtenstein national football team is the national football team of Liechtenstein and is controlled by the Liechtenstein Football Association. The organisation is known as the Liechtensteiner Fussballverband in German. The team's first match was an unofficial match against Malta in Seoul, a...
, completing a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
within just 21 minutes of the kickoff. On 3 March 2010, he surpassed Carmel Busuttil
Carmel Busuttil
Carmel Busuttil is one of Malta's most experienced football players. Now retired from playing, he is assistant coach of the Malta national football team.-Career:...
's goalscoring record with the national team, as Mifsud hit the back of the net for Malta in an exhibition match against Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
, which finished in a 1–2 loss for the locals.
International goals
| Mifsud – goals for Malta | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 25 April 2001 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1–0 | 1–4 | 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.... |
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| 2 | 14 November 2001 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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| 3 | 9 February 2002 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1–0 | 2–1 | Malta Tournament | |
| 4 | 13 February 2002 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 3–0 | 3–0 | Malta Tournament | |
| 5 | 17 April 2002 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly | |
| 6 | 20 November 2002 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia Nicosia Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line... , Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the... |
1–2 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2004 Qualifying | |
| 7 | 30 April 2003 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1–3 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 2004 Qualifying | |
| 8 | 10 September 2003 | Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and... , Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
1*–1 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2004 Qualifying | |
| 9 | 31 March 2004 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly | |
| 10 | 18 August 2004 | 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... |
2–2 | 2–3 | Friendly | |
| 11 | 13 October 2004 | Vasil Levski Stadium Vasil Levski National Stadium Vasil Levski National Stadium , named after Bulgarian national hero Vasil Levski, is one of Bulgaria's largest sports venues and the country's second largest stadium... , Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
1–0 | 1–4 | 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifying 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |
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| 12 | 2 September 2006 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 2–5 | 2–5 | UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying | |
| 13 | 17 October 2007 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 2–3 | 2–3 | UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying | |
| 14 | 21 November 2007 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1–3 | 1–4 | UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying | |
| 15 | 26 March 2008 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1*–0 | 7–1 | Friendly | |
| 16 | 26 March 2008 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 2–0 | 7–1 | Friendly | |
| 17 | 26 March 2008 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 3*–0 | 7–1 | Friendly | |
| 18 | 26 March 2008 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 5–1 | 7–1 | Friendly | |
| 19 | 26 March 2008 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 6–1 | 7–1 | Friendly | |
| 20 | 30 May 2008 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna Vienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... , Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
1–2 | 1–5 | Friendly | |
| 21 | 12 August 2009 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
| 22 | 12 August 2009 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
| 23 | 18 November 2009 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1–1 | 1–4 | Friendly | |
| 24 | 3 March 2010 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly | |
| 25 | 11 August 2010 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly | |
| 26 | 4 June 2011 | Karaiskaki Stadium, Piraeus | 1–2 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
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| 27 | 10 August 2011 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1*–0 | 2–1 | Friendly | |
| 28 | 10 August 2011 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | |
| 29 | 2 September 2011 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1–2 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
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| 30 | 6 September 2011 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 1–1 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
Goals marked with an asterisk (*) were penalty kicks.
Club
Sliema Wanderers- 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...
(1): 2004 - 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...
(1): 2000