A football pitch on top of a shopping mall is already an extraordinary sight. But what if you could build another two floors above it, introduce nine indoor padel courts, create new commercial spaces and move the football pitch even higher? In Sliema, Malta, this is precisely what Sliema Wanderers Football Club is proposing. During the ESWAM city visit in October 2026, the delegation discovered a club that is not simply looking for more space to play football. It is exploring how urban real estate can become the financial foundation for its sporting future. In a city where every square metre matters, the answer might not be to move elsewhere, but to build upwards.
The existing complex is already a remarkable example of vertical urban development. Located above The Point Shopping Mall at Tigné Point, the football ground forms part of a larger development combining retail, residential buildings, offices and public spaces. When the area was redeveloped, Sliema Wanderers chose to remain in the city rather than relocate to its outskirts. The football pitch was incorporated into the development above the commercial activities, preserving the club's presence in the community while creating economic opportunities underneath. It is a powerful example of how sport and commercial development can coexist on the same urban footprint.
But the club's ambitions are now moving beyond this original concept. Club president Walter Arciola has outlined plans to add two additional floors above the existing sports complex. According to the proposal, the current football level would be converted into commercial accommodation, creating additional opportunities for rental income. Above it, a new sporting level would introduce nine indoor padel courts, a clubhouse and an interactive football-focused AI arcade. Another level would accommodate a gym, sports performance facilities and supporting services. The football pitch itself would move to the highest rooftop. Instead of simply renovating a sports facility, Sliema Wanderers wants to create an integrated destination where sport, health, entertainment and commercial activities operate together.
This is where the project becomes particularly interesting for European cities. The club is not asking how to find another large piece of land for its activities. It is asking how much more value can be created from the space it already occupies. By combining multiple functions vertically, the same location could accommodate different sports, attract new visitors and generate additional income. Padel players, footballers, fitness enthusiasts and commercial tenants could eventually share one development, each contributing to its long-term viability. The proposed expansion is therefore as much a business strategy as an architectural ambition.
Financial independence is central to the club's vision. Traditionally, football clubs rely on sponsorship, membership fees, public support and sporting performance. Sliema Wanderers is exploring a broader model in which commercial property becomes an important source of recurring income. The club already has experience with this approach through D Mall, a commercial development connected to The Point Shopping Mall. Former indoor sporting areas were converted into retail and office accommodation and leased for commercial use. This created an opportunity to connect the economic value of real estate directly to the club's sporting activities.
The existing commercial arrangements demonstrate why this model deserves attention. By developing and leasing commercially valuable space, a sports organisation can potentially create a more predictable financial foundation for its activities. Rather than relying entirely on traditional sports funding, the club can explore recurring revenue from property and complementary services. The proposed expansion would build on this experience by creating additional rental space alongside new sporting facilities, allowing commercial and sporting activities to support one another.
The club has also announced a memorandum of understanding with Betsson Group, intended to support its sporting ambitions, infrastructure development and long-term financial sustainability. Such partnerships show how commercial development can attract investment and expertise beyond conventional football sponsorship. However, the expansion remains a proposal rather than an approved construction project. The club has indicated that changes to local planning policies are needed before a development application can be submitted. Malta's commercialisation framework also requires a substantial proportion of the facilities to remain dedicated to sport and related activities, helping safeguard the sporting purpose of the development.
“What if the commercial value of a city could help finance the sporting opportunities of its citizens?”
Meanwhile, the existing rooftop continues to demonstrate both the opportunities and limitations of urban sports infrastructure. Approximately 250 to 300 children participate in the club's football academy, alongside youth teams and the professional senior squad. Girls' football is also growing, with teams in several younger age categories. Training sessions begin after school and continue almost uninterrupted until approximately 9:30 in the evening. The demand is so intense that coaches compete for available time, while the club is exploring additional training locations for its youngest players. Even with a football pitch above a shopping mall, sporting space remains scarce.
During the ESWAM visit, the delegation experienced the recently renovated rooftop pitch. The club had invested in a wider refurbishment programme, including a new artificial turf system using Dutch technology, fencing and structural improvements. The surface does not require traditional rubber or sand infill and is designed to provide playing characteristics closer to natural grass. Although the installation had only recently been completed, the investment demonstrated the club's determination to maintain high-quality facilities while preparing for a potentially much larger transformation.
For municipalities and urban developers, Sliema Wanderers raises questions that extend far beyond football. Why do we continue to separate sports infrastructure from commercial development, housing and other urban functions? Could commercial activities help finance the construction, maintenance and operation of sporting facilities? And what if sports clubs were treated as long-term development partners rather than simply users of infrastructure? The Sliema example suggests that the financial sustainability of sport may increasingly depend on how intelligently cities combine different uses of valuable urban space.
Of course, this approach also brings challenges. Vertical construction requires significant investment, structural engineering and complex planning procedures. Commercial income depends on tenants, market conditions and professional management. Sports organisations must also protect their primary mission, ensuring that commercial ambitions do not come at the expense of participation and community access. Not every club has the property rights or location advantages of Sliema Wanderers. Nevertheless, the project demonstrates why cities should consider new partnerships and business models when planning future sporting infrastructure.
What makes Sliema Wanderers particularly compelling is the ambition to move beyond a single sports facility. The club is thinking about an entire building as an interconnected ecosystem, with commercial activities helping to support football, padel, fitness and other sporting opportunities. If realised, the proposed development could demonstrate how a sports organisation can become an active participant in urban regeneration while strengthening its financial future.
For the ESWAM delegation, the visit was a reminder that creating active cities requires more than building additional sports facilities. It also requires rethinking how those facilities are financed, managed and integrated into urban development. Sliema Wanderers has already demonstrated that football can thrive above a shopping centre. Now the club wants to take the concept several levels further.
Perhaps the most important lesson is that the future of urban sport does not necessarily depend on finding more land. It depends on recognising the opportunities within the space already available. In Sliema, football has already moved above the shopping mall. The next chapter could take it even higher.
Raido Mitt undersecretary for sports @ Ministry of Culture