Ernest Spiteri-Gonzi (born 21 October 1955) is a retired footballer who played as a striker. Born in England, he played for the Malta national team.
During his club career, Spiteri-Gonzi played for Hibernians. He twice became Maltese top goalscorer, in the 1980âÂÂ81 and 1981âÂÂ82 seasons. He was also voted Maltese Player of the Year in the 1981âÂÂ82 season.
Spiteri-Gonzi has played for Malta and has earned a total of 20 caps, scoring 3 goals. He has represented his country in 4 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. On 18 March 1979, in a match against Turkey, he scored the first Maltese international goal in 17 years. Spiteri-Gonzi also played in the infamous December 1983 European Championship qualification defeat by Spain, which Malta lost 1âÂÂ12, ensuring that Spain qualified for Euro 1984 ahead of the Netherlands on goal difference. He later accused Spain of being "cheats".