Malta

Malta has a relationship with football older than almost all of continental Europe: the game arrived with British servicemen in the 19th century, the first documented match dates from 1894 and the federation was born as early as 1900. The league has been played since 1909/10 and is historically dominated by the axis of Floriana, Sliema Wanderers, Valletta and Hibernians, with fierce rivalries packed into a few square kilometres. The national team rarely climbs from the bottom of the rankings, but every point won is celebrated like a title, and the archipelago lives English and Italian football with a fervour that splits entire families.