Sliema Wanderers president Robert Arrigo was one of the happiest persons in the Sliema clan on Monday evening as Sliema clinched their 26th League title and the third consecutive under this administration.

He said yesterday: “I am very proud to have achieved this record 26th title which means a lot to me. When I was elected president of Sliema in 1996, my primary aim was to make the club the most successful and I think I have reached my scope during the past eight and a half years.”

During this period Sliema have won the league four times and the FA Trophy twice as well as other numerous honours, including the Lowenbrau Cup, the Euro Cup, the Super Five Lottery tournament and the Super Cup not to mention the other occasions when the team finished second or was the finalist.

And it will not end here, according to Arrigo. “We now intend to continue on our road to further success by winning the next competition, the FA Trophy. If we win again, then it will be another memorable consecutive double, the same as we did last season, but it will not be easy,” he said.

The Sliema president said the Blues’ success was all a story of consistency. “We have been at the top of the standings for the last two and a half years. If that is not a proof of consistency, then I do not know what is. I think we have been harshly criticised because of our performances. But we are not obliged to shine. Instead, our obligation on the field of play is to win the points for that is what success is all about. That is what we did during this period,” he said.

Asked whether the team will need to be strengthened for next season, Arrigo said it was still too early to talk about such things. “We know that some of our players are nearing the expiry date of their contracts. There will probably be some changes, but in the game of football, we will have to wait and see what happens and what is available on the market,” he said.

The Sliema boss again criticised the MFA for introducing a rule which will allow any club to bring foreign 15 year-olds who, after three years practising in their nurseries, will be eligible to play as Maltese. “Such rules damage our football, especially our youngsters who will be totally blocked by such a move,” he added.