Edward Aquilina

Edward Aquilina (2 September 1945 – 6 June 2021) was a Maltese football player and manager.

His career as a forward was mostly spent in two spells at Sliema Wanderers, winning the Maltese Premier League six times and a further title for Hibernians. He played 12 games for the Malta national team, scoring the winning goal on his debut in 1966.

As a manager, Aquilina won the league, Maltese FA Trophy and Maltese Super Cup in 1996–97 for Valletta, and three consecutive league titles for Sliema Wanderers from 2003 to 2005.

Club career

Aquilina began playing in the third division for Melita in 1960–61 before joining Sliema Wanderers. He spent 15 years there over two spells, winning the Maltese Premier League six times and the Maltese FA Trophy three times. In 1967, he played for the Pittsburgh Phantoms in the National Professional Soccer League, scoring four times in ten games.

Aquilina won another league title with Hibernians. In the 1971–72 European Cup first round, back at Sliema Wanderers, he scored once and assisted all three goals of Ronnie Cocks' hat-trick in a 4–0 win against ÍA on 26 September; in 2007, the Times of Malta reflected that Aquilina played "the game of his life". He retired in 1979.

International career

Aquilina made his international debut for Malta on 13 February 1966, and scored the only goal of a friendly win over Libya at Manoel Island Football Ground. He made a total of 12 appearances, ending with a 2–2 draw with the same opponents on 10 March 1976, and scored no further goals.

Managerial career

Aquilina was manager for 243 games in the Maltese Premier League, starting at Sliema Wanderers. He then led Qormi, Senglea Athletic and Marsa in the First Division. As manager of Valletta from 1994 to 1998, he led the capital city club to the league title, FA Trophy and Maltese Super Cup. From 2002 to 2006 he managed Sliema Wanderers again, and achieved three consecutive league titles from 2003 to 2005, which he considered his greatest feat, and had previously won three in succession as a player for the same club.

Death

Aquilina died at home in Sliema on 6 June 2021, aged 75.

References