Valletta FC has decried what it described as “unacceptable” mismanagement during its opening league clash against Birkirkara FC, after hundreds of supporters were left outside the National Stadium despite empty seats being visible inside.

The club said its stand had been sold out well before kick-off, with fans creating a sea of red and white. Yet large sections of the ground remained closed off “due to poor planning and a lack of foresight,” leaving loyal supporters stranded outside. Valletta insisted it “will not accept this,” adding that the incident undermined ongoing efforts to bring fans back to Maltese football.

“At a time when the game is struggling to attract people to stadiums, our supporters deserve better,” the club said. “Their commitment and love for Valletta FC should be met with respect, not obstacles.” The club pledged to raise the matter formally with the relevant entities, stressing that fans are “the lifeblood of football and must never be turned away.”

In response, the Malta Premier — organisers of the new national league structure — apologised to fans and admitted the disruption was caused by a ticketing system error. According to its statement, the system incorrectly flagged Valletta’s allocation as sold out, preventing further entry. The issue was later resolved on site and affected supporters were eventually admitted. The Malta Premier said it was introducing new safeguards to prevent a repeat.

The Malta Football Association (MFA), which owns the National Stadium, struck a more defensive tone. After conducting independent verifications, it insisted the ticketing system “operated correctly and without fault,” noting that Valletta’s West C stand had reached its calibrated capacity once the allocated tickets — both online and from physical booths — were sold. It added that part of the section was reserved for Valletta season ticket holders.

The MFA also clarified that “planning, organisation and matchday operations” fall under Kampjonat Malta Limited, the company running the league, adding that it remained available for support.