Marsaxlokk FC has officially challenged the outcome of the Malta Premier League final against Floriana FC by filing a formal protest with the Malta Football Association. Floriana secured both the match victory and the league title on Saturday thanks to a highly controversial goal in the 92nd minute.
According to Marsaxlokk FC, the decisive goal occurred when a throw-in traveled directly into their net without touching a single player on the pitch.
While officials officially credited the goal to Bosnian striker Kenan Dervisagic following a cross from Carlo Zammit Lonardelli, Marsaxlokk insists that high-definition video evidence proves otherwise, showing the ball flying cleanly from the thrower’s hands, bouncing, and entering the net untouched.
The club argues that the referee committed a critical technical error by validating the goal. They cited the IFAB Laws of the Game, which explicitly dictate that a goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in, and that a goal kick should be awarded instead if the ball enters the opponent’s net untouched.
Because this “illegal” goal ultimately decided the entire Premier League championship, Marsaxlokk contends that allowing the result to stand would mean unjustly awarding the 2025/26 YoHealth Malta Premier title in direct violation of global football rules.
Legally represented by Dr Maurice Meli and Dr Carlos Bugeja, Marsaxlokk FC is urging the MFA Protests Board to recognize the technical error, void the May 16 match, and order a full replay.
