Malta FA mourns passing of Lino Falzon

Lino Falzon
(09.04.1941-03.10.2024)

The Malta FA is saddened to learn about the demise of former Malta international Lino Falzon, who made five caps for the national team in the first part of the 1960s.

Lino was part of the squad who travelled to Denmark as Malta, for the very first time, participated in the preliminary round of the 1964 European Nations Cup, making his Malta debut in Copenhagen on 28th June 1962. Lino, who could play in any spot in defence or midfield, preferred the left half position. The Malta squad went on to play Norway in a Friendly a few days later where he collected his second cap for Malta.

When selected for Malta, Falzon was still a Mosta Athletic player in the 2nd Division, becoming only the second player to represent Malta to be picked out of the second tier after Eddie Mizzi of St George’s in 1959.

Not long after the Scandinavia trip with Malta in 1962, Lino joined Sliema Wanderers, forming part of the Blues’ formidable squad who won the Maltese championship for three consecutive years (1963/64-1965/66) amongst various other cup competitions including three times the FA Trophy. He made over 100 official appearances for the Wanderers, including 11 in the European Cup competitions. In 1968, Lino was part of the team who beat US Rumelange in the European Cup Winners Cup, a historic occasion as it was the very first time Sliema progressed to the next round in Europe.

While with Sliema, Lino remained a valuable member of the national team squad and added three more caps to his tally in the 1964 friendly with Italy ‘C’ and in 1966 in the home and away friendlies with Libya.

In 1969, Lino returned to his first love Mosta where he eventually retired at he start of the 1970s.

Lino came from a great footballing family with several brothers playing with Mosta while his son Stefan followed his father’s footsteps and played for the Malta national U16 and U18 teams in the period 1993-1996.

May he rest in peace.