View source for Balzan F.C.

{{Short description|Association football club}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Balzan
| image = Balzan F.C..png
| image_size = 200px
| fullname = Balzan Football Club
| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1937}}<br />(as ''Balzan Youths'')
| ground = 
| chrtitle = President
| chairman = Anton Tagliaferro
| mgrtitle = Head coach
| manager = [[Andrew Cohen (footballer)|Andrew Cohen]]
| league = [[Maltese Challenge League]]
| season = [[2024–25 Maltese Premier League|2024–25]]
| position = [[Maltese Premier League]], 11th of 12 (relegated)
| website = {{URL|https://balzanfc1937.com/}}
| pattern_la1 = 
| pattern_b1 = _jomapisa2rw
| pattern_ra1 = 
| pattern_sh1 = 
| pattern_so1 = 
| leftarm1 = FF0000
| body1 = FF0000
| rightarm1 = FF0000
| shorts1 = FF0000
| socks1 = FF0000
| pattern_la2 = _jomagold5bg
| pattern_b2 = _jomagold5bg
| pattern_ra2 = _jomagold5bg
| pattern_sh2 = 
| pattern_so2 = 
| leftarm2 = 000000
| body2 = 000000
| rightarm2 = 000000
| shorts2 = 000000
| socks2 = 000000
}}

'''Balzan Football Club''' is a Maltese [[Association football|football]] club from the village of [[Balzan]] that competes in the [[Maltese Challenge League]], the second tier of Maltese football. The club was founded as ''Balzan Youths'' in 1937 and played in the top division between 2010 and 2025. They were renamed ''Balzan FC'' in June 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://balzanfc1937.com/club-history/|title=Club History|website=Balzan FC|access-date=20 April 2024}}</ref>

Balzan has qualified for the [[UEFA Europa League]] for five consecutive seasons (2015–16 to 2019–20). The club finished as runners-up in the [[Maltese Premier League]] in the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons and were finalists of the [[2015–16 Maltese FA Trophy]], which they lost on [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|penalties]] to [[Sliema Wanderers F.C.|Sliema Wanderers]] after a goalless draw in the regular time. In May 2019, the club finally won its first major honour, the [[2018–19 Maltese FA Trophy]], after defeating [[Valletta F.C.|Valletta]] on penalties in the final.<ref>{{cite news |last= Camilleri|first= Valhmor|date=18 May 2019|title= Effiong scores four as Balzan win first-ever FA Trophy|url= https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20190518/football/balzan-edge-valletta-in-shoot-out-to-win-fa-trophy.710351|work= Times of Malta |access-date= 19 May 2019}}</ref>

==Players==

===First-team squad===
{{updated|11 February 2025}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Senior Team – Season 2023/2024 |url=https://balzanfc1937.com/senior-team-season-2022-2023/ |publisher=Balzan F.C. |access-date=14 September 2023}}</ref>
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=1|nat=MLT|pos=GK|name=Dylan Ciappara}}
{{Fs player|no=2|nat=SRB|pos=DF|name=Nemanja Kerkez}}
{{Fs player|no=4|nat=BRA|pos=DF|name=[[André Fausto]]}}
{{Fs player|no=4|nat=MLT|pos=DF|name=Oliver May}}
{{Fs player|no=5|nat=MLT|pos=DF|name=[[Samir Arab]]}}
{{Fs player|no=6|nat=MLT|pos=MF|name=Marcus Grima}}
{{Fs player|no=7|nat=MLT|pos=MF|name=[[Tristan Caruana]]}}
{{Fs player|no=8|nat=MLT|pos=DF|name=Nicolas Pulis}}
{{Fs player|no=9|nat=GER|pos=FW|name=[[Isaac Westendorf]]}}
{{Fs player|no=10|nat=MLT|pos=MF|name=[[Jan Busuttil]]}}
{{Fs player|no=11|nat=MLT|pos=MF|name=Benjamin Hili}}
{{Fs player|no=14|nat=NGA|pos=FW|name=Oluwatobiloba Awosanya}}
{{Fs player|no=17|nat=BEL|pos=DF|name=Henri Stanic}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=17|nat=DRC|pos=MF|name=Marcus Ndombasi}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=SRB|pos=MF|name=Luka Janković}}
{{Fs player|no=19|nat=MLT|pos=FW|name=Gabriel Farrugia}}
{{Fs player|no=21|nat=SRB|pos=DF|name=Luka Luković}}
{{Fs player|no=22|nat=MLT|pos=MF|name=Jake Grech}}
{{Fs player|no=23|nat=ESP|pos=FW|name=[[Víctor Blasco]]}}
{{Fs player|no=24|nat=RSA|pos=MF|name=[[Tercious Malepe]]}}
{{Fs player|no=27|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Udoyen Akpan}}
{{Fs player|no=42|nat=POR|pos=DF|name=[[Rafael Floro]]}}
{{Fs player|no=44|nat=SRB|pos=FW|name=[[Marko Bačanin]]}}
{{Fs player|no=77|nat=BUR|pos=FW|name=[[Elvis Kamsoba]]}}
{{Fs player|no=99|nat=SRB|pos=GK|name=Danilo Golović}}
{{Fs end}}

==Club facilities==
The club's Administration Building 'Solerville' is located at Main Street, Balzan. A bar and garden restaurant on the ground floor are open to the public. The club's training facilities, located at Robert Mifsud Bonnici Street, Lija, include a clubhouse and a full-size pitch with synthetic turf. The clubhouse includes a conference room, a bar and a gymnasium and was officially opened on 13 March 2011. From September 2015, Balzan teams also commenced training at St Aloysius' College ground, after the ground underwent a major upgrade.

In 2019, Balzan FC started the construction of an additional two-storey clubhouse at its Lija ground which feature additional changing room facilities, as well as accommodation for visiting teams. The building was completed in late 2021.

<gallery>
File:St Aloysius' College ground.jpg|St Aloysius' College ground
File:"Solerville".jpg|"Solerville"
File:BFC Clubhouse.jpg|Training centre
</gallery>

==Honours==
[[File:Balzan FC wins FA Trophy.jpg|thumb|Balzan players celebrating the club's first major title in 2019, after defeating [[Valletta F.C.|Valletta]] 5–4 on penalties in the [[Maltese FA Trophy]] final.]]
*'''[[Maltese FA Trophy]]'''
**'''Winners:''' [[2018–19 Maltese FA Trophy|2018–19]]
*'''[[Maltese Second Division]]'''
**'''Winners:''' [[2008–09 Maltese FA Trophy|2008–09]]
{{clear}}

==European record==
[[File:Balzan players and supporters celebrate Balzan F.C.'s historic qualification to the UEFA Europa League following a 3 -1 victory against Hibernians FC on 26 April 2015..jpg|thumb|Balzan players and supporters celebrate the club's historic qualification to European competitions following a victory over [[Hibernians F.C.|Hibernians]] in April 2015.]]
''All results (home and away) list Balzan's goal tally first.''
{| class="wikitable"
! Season
! Competition
! Round
! Club
! Home
! Away
! Aggregate
|-
| [[2015–16 UEFA Europa League|2015–16]]
| [[UEFA Europa League]]
| [[2015–16 UEFA Europa League#First qualifying round|1Q]]
| {{flagicon|BIH}} [[FK Željezničar Sarajevo|Željezničar]]
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| 0–2
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| 0–1
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| '''0–3'''
|-
| [[2016–17 UEFA Europa League|2016–17]]
| [[UEFA Europa League]]
| [[2016–17 UEFA Europa League#First qualifying round|1Q]]
| {{flagicon|Azerbaijan}} [[Neftchi Baku|Neftçi]]
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| 0–2
| bgcolor="#ddffdd" style="text-align:center;"| 2–1
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| '''2–3'''
|-
| [[2017–18 UEFA Europa League|2017–18]]
| [[UEFA Europa League]]
| [[2017–18 UEFA Europa League#First qualifying round|1Q]]
| {{flagicon|Hungary}} [[Videoton FC|Videoton]]
| bgcolor="#ffffdd" style="text-align:center;"| 3−3
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| 0−2
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| '''3−5'''
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[2018–19 UEFA Europa League|2018–19]]
| rowspan="2"| [[UEFA Europa League]]
| [[2018–19 UEFA Europa League#First qualifying round|1Q]]
| {{flagicon|Azerbaijan}} [[Keşla FK|Keşla]]
| bgcolor="#ddffdd" style="text-align:center;"| 4−1
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| 1−2
| bgcolor="#ddffdd" style="text-align:center;"| '''5−3'''
|-
| [[2018–19 UEFA Europa League#Second qualifying round|2Q]]
| {{Flag icon|Slovakia}} [[ŠK Slovan Bratislava|Slovan Bratislava]]
| bgcolor="#ddffdd" style="text-align:center;"| 2–1
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| 1−3
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| '''3−4'''
|-
| [[2019–20 UEFA Europa League|2019–20]]
| [[UEFA Europa League]]
| [[2019–20 UEFA Europa League#First qualifying round|1Q]]
|{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[NK Domžale|Domžale]]
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| 3–4
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| 0–1
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| '''3–5'''
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League|2023–24]]
| rowspan="2"|[[UEFA Europa Conference League]]
| [[2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League#First qualifying round|1Q]]
|{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[NK Domžale|Domžale]]
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| 1–3 {{aet}}
| bgcolor="#ddffdd" style="text-align:center;"| 4–1
| bgcolor="#ddffdd" style="text-align:center;"| '''5–4'''
|-
| [[2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League#Second qualifying round|2Q]]
|{{flagicon|BLR}} [[FC Neman Grodno|Neman Grodno]]
| bgcolor="#ffffdd" style="text-align:center;"| 0−0
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| 0–2
| bgcolor="#ffdddd" style="text-align:center;"| '''0–2'''
|-
|}
;Notes
* '''1Q''': First qualifying round
* '''2Q''': Second qualifying round

==List of managers==
{{Incomplete list|date=June 2023}}
{{div col|colwidth=28em|small=yes}}
* {{flagicon|MLT}} Paul Barbara (1989–90)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} [[Jimmy Briffa]] (1990–93)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} Alberto Cristiano (1993–94)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} [[Ronnie Cocks]] (1994–95)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} France Scicluna (1995–97)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} Joe Attard (1997–98)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} Stephen Azzopardi (1998–02)
* {{flagicon|ALB}} [[Fatos Daja]] (2002–03)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} [[Jimmy Briffa]] (2003–05)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} Mario Monreal (2005–06)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} Charles Borg Sant (2006–07)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} Alfred Attard (2007–08)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} [[Ivan Zammit]] (2008–13)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} [[David Carabott]] (2009–10)
* {{flagicon|ITA}} Riccardo Tumiatti (2013)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} [[Jesmond Zerafa]] (2013–14)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} [[Oliver Spiteri]] (2014–17)
* {{flagicon|SER}} [[Marko Mićović]] (2017–19)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} Jacques Scerri (2019–20)
* {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Mark Miller (footballer)|Mark Miller]] (2020–21)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} [[Paul Zammit (footballer)|Paul Zammit]] (2021–22)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} [[Oliver Spiteri]] (2022–2024)<ref>{{cite news |last= Camilleri|first= Valhmor|date=5 June 2022|title= Balzan FC appoint Oliver Spiteri as new first-team coach|url= https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20220605/football/balzan-fc-appoint-oliver-spiteri-as-new-first-team-coach.959840|work= Times of Malta |access-date=5 June 2022}}</ref> 
* {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Dave Rogers (footballer, born 1975)|Dave Rogers]] (2024)
* {{flagicon|ENG}} Daryl Willard (2025)
* {{flagicon|MLT}} [[Andrew Cohen (footballer)|Andrew Cohen]] (2025–present)
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Balzan F.C.}}
* {{official website|https://balzanfc1937.com/}}

{{Maltese football clubs}}
{{Maltese football}}

[[Category:Balzan F.C.| ]]
[[Category:Football clubs in Malta]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1937]]