Roderick Briffa

Roderick Briffa (born 24 August 1981, Birkirkara, Malta) is a professional footballer. He currently plays for the Maltese Premier League side Birkirkara.

Roderick Briffa
Personal information
Full name Roderick Briffa
Date of birth (1981-08-24) 24 August 1981
Place of birth Birkirkara, Malta
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s) Right back / Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Birkirkara
Number 18
Youth career
Birkirkara
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2007 Birkirkara 105 (11)
2001–2002 →Pietà Hotspurs (loan) 11 (1)
2007–2009 Sliema Wanderers 20 (4)
2009–2017 Valletta 151 (17)
2017–2019 Gżira United 47 (0)
2019– Birkirkara 1 (0)
National team‡
2001 Malta U21
2003– Malta 100 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:04, 27 August 2019 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2018

Playing career

Birkirkara

Roderick began his career with Maltese Premier League side Birkirkara, playing initially in the youth team, but making his debut during the 1998–99 season, Briffa only made one appearances that season, as Birkirkara went on to record a 2nd-place finish in Maltese Premier League.

The 1999–00 season, saw Roderick start to gain more first team opportunities with Birkirkara. He went on to make five appearances during the season, but failed to score. He did have his first taste of success as Birkirkara were crowned champions of the Maltese Premier League.

Briffa went into the 2000–01 season, hoping to try and force his way into the Birkirkara first team, however he was only used as a bit part player and only made one appearance with the club, as Birkirkara went on to finish in 3rd position in the Maltese Premier League.

The 2001–02 season saw Roderick still struggle to make his mark with Birkirkara, and by January, Briffa had only made 2 appearances with the club, this prompted a loan move away to play the remainder of the season with fellow Maltese Premier League side Pietà Hotspurs. Briffa went on to make 11 appearances and score one goal, which helped Pietà Hotspurs avoid the threat of relegation and record a 7th-place finish in the Maltese Premier League, his parent club Birkirkara finished the season in 3rd position.

Following the loan spell with Pietà Hotspurs, Roderick returned to Birkirkara for the 2002–03 a reformed character. He became a permanent fixture in the Birkirkara first team, making 28 appearances and scoring 4 goals. Birkirkara recorded a 2nd-place finish in the Maltese Premier League, he also added a Maltese Cup winners medal to his collection, as Birkirkara retained the trophy, beating Sliema Wanderers in the final. Roderick had come a long way in a short period of time. His performances led to the player been called up to play for the Maltese national team.

Roderick went into the 2003–04 season hoping to help Birkirkara go one better and win the Maltese Premier League title, however the club recorded another 2nd-place finish, with Briffa making 16 appearances, but failing to score any goals.

The 2004–05 season was another story of so near, yet so far for Briffa, as Birkirkara recorded their third successive 2nd-place finish. During the season, Roderick made 14 appearances and again failed to score any goals. Briffa picked up his second Maltese Cup winners medal, as the club beat Msida Saint-Joseph in the final.

The 2005–06 season was Briffa's most successful season as a Birkirkara player. He helped the club claim the Maltese Premier League title, making 23 appearances and scoring five goals.

Roderick's last season with Birkirkara was the 2006–07 season. During the season Briffa made 15 appearances and scored two goals, as Birkirkara finished in 3rd position in the Maltese Premier League.

Sliema Wanderers

Despite a reasonable previous season with Birkirkara, big cutbacks were made at the club, with Roderick heading the exit list; he joined fellow Maltese Premier League side Sliema Wanderers in July 2007, just in time for the 2007–08 season. He was joined at the tail end of the month by Birkirkara teammate Etienne Barbara. Roderick established himself as one of the club's most important players. In his debut season, Briffa made 25 appearances and scored three goals, as Sliema Wanderers finished in 4th position in the Maltese Premier League.

Roderick's spell with Sliema Wanderers was short lived, as the 2008–09 season proved to be his last with the club. He went on to make 11 appearances and scored two goals, before leaving the club in January 2009. Sliema Wanderers went on to finish the season in 5th position in the Maltese Premier League.

Valletta

On 16 January 2009, Roderick Briffa signed for Valletta during the 2008–09 transfer window on a five-year contract.[1] Despite the club's financial muscle in the Maltese game, the campaign ended trophyless; the club missed out on the Maltese Premier League title to Hibernians, who won the title by two points, but maybe more disappointingly for Briffa was the loss in the final of the Maltese Cup to his old club Sliema Wanderers. In his debut season with Valletta, Roderick made 12 appearances and scored one goal.

Return to Birkirkara

On 26 June 2019 Birkirkara announced, that Briffa had returned to the club on a 1-year contract.[2]

Honours

Club

Valletta

Individual
  • Malta Footballer of the Year: 2011

Career statistics

Statistics accurate as of match played 9 August 2009.

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
SeasonClubLeague AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Malta League Maltese Cup League Cup Europe Total
1998–99BirkirkaraMaltese Premier League1000000010
1999–005000000050
2000–011000000010
2001–022000000020
2001–02Pietà Hotspurs (loan)111000000111
2002–03Birkirkara284000000284
2003–04160000000160
2004–05140000000140
2005–06235000000235
2006–07152000000152
2007–08Sliema Wanderers253000000253
2008–09112000000112
2008–09Valletta121000000121
Total Malta 1641800000016418
Career total 1641800000016418

International goals
Scores and results list Malta's goal tally first.
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.12 October 2012Stadion města Plzně, Plzeň, Czech Republic Czech Republic1–11–32014 FIFA World Cup qualification

References
  1. "Roderick Briffa joins Valletta FC". VallettaFC.net. 16 January 2009. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  2. Roderick Briffa back to his childhood club, birkirkarafc.com, 26 June 2019
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