Mellieha Libertas will not take part in the BOV Division One from next season, Malta basketball can confirm, as the club shifts focus onto its nursery.
The Northerners who finished as runners-up in the league for the past three seasons, will not be challenging Starlites again this coming campaign after a lack of general interest caused the club’s administration to opt out of pursuing the senior team’s participation for another season.
In a message seen by Malta Basketball, club president Niccolò Petrucci expressed his sorrow towards the team not participating in Division One, but said that without real fan culture in Malta, the team could not continue to grow in the way he expected.
“What I’m saying is very hard for me because this senior team is my creation and I really love watching it fight and study every year to improve season after season. With a heavy heart, I have decided, after long reflection during these past months, that the next year we will continue only with the nursery and we will not participate in the first division,” Petrucci wrote.
“I take the sport very seriously and after years of very good results, I realised that here in Malta the sport, and particularly basketball, is considered less than a hobby.
“Throughout the years, we always raised the bar, increasing the budget, buying very good and entertaining players but we didn’t manage to get real fans at Ta’ Qali. I’m grateful to all parents, friends and nursery components, who during these years, came to see us winning 90% of the time, but I’m sorry this is not enough.
Lack of Mellieha investment motivation
The Mellieha president, who saw the club become Starlites’ greatest challengers in the past few years, lamented the fact that despite his efforts to create a community around the club, interest remained minimal – a factor that diminished the Italian’s motivation.
“The beauty of the sport is representing a city, a village, a community; having a sense of belonging,” he said, “this is the fuel for fighting, growing up and for a self-justification regarding a substantial budget.
“I’m not here to underline all the sacrifices I made to increase the budget and get new sponsors (of course money of my dear friends who have business – nobody invests real money in local basketball without exposure) and money from my pockets.
“Throughout the years I never spoke about the money and I don’t want to start now but if a club invests so much money, wins two cups in such a short time, and plays most of the finals in the last two years, I expected that around the team and inside the team there would be an exciting atmosphere. Instead, it was zero interest from the outside and useless stupid matters inside the team that diminished all the victories and the good basketball we played.
Petrucci bemoaned the issue where Maltese people would rather follow a lower-league football team than their local basketball team.
“I tried to organise a free shuttle to bring Mellieha people to watch us, and bring a band to create an atmosphere inside the Pavilion but we had nothing and at the following games we always had the same faces at ta’ Qali.
“I’m nobody to change a culture where following a football team playing in the third division or taking useless selfies in San Siro or Juventus Stadium is more important than watching a real sport with talented local and American pros.
“If this league is considered purely a hobby, I have no problem with the definition, but it can’t justify this kind of club’s costs and commitments.”
Future plans
While this spells the end of Libertas’ senior side, the Mellieha president assured that the nursery will remain, as he lauded the young players’ growth, ending his letter with a show of appreciation towards the senior players who will now be looking for new clubs ahead of the new season.
“We will focus on our nursery which is reaching incredible results considering where we started. When a beautiful story finishes, there is always a mix of delusion, frustration and the belief that something could have been done differently, but I have no regret,” Petrucci said.
“I did everything with passion and I’m really proud of what we’ve reached in these four years all together. Thanks for this fantastic journey and I wish all the best for your careers. I’ll always be rooting for you,” the Italian concluded.