Norman Buttigieg

Norman Buttigieg (born 18 February 1956) is a Maltese former footballer who played as a sweeper.

At the club level he played primarily with Hibernians in the 1970s and 1980s, winning three league titles at the club. He also earned 20 caps with the Malta national team.

Playing career Buttigieg was born on 18 February 1956 in the Maltese town of Paola, and began playing football as a child on the field behind the Christ the King Parish Church. As a teenager, he joined De Paule Band Club of the Paola District League, a local competition organized to identify talent for Hibernians' youth teams. He was quickly spotted and selected for the Hibernians under-18 squad. He anchored a defense that once led the team on a 37-game unbeaten streak, undoubtedly one of the greatest periods in club history. After his playing career he started coaching at the youth level. For his performance, the young defender was described as a "constant inspiration to his colleagues" who "rarely put a wrong foot." He made four further appearances in group play, but Malta was eliminated.

He also played during qualifying rounds of the 1982 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1984. In the latter, their last match was against Spain, who needed to beat them by 11 or more goals to finish above the Netherlands, who had beaten Malta 5–0 four days earlier. Spain had only scored 12 goals in their previous seven matches, but famously defeated Malta 12–1 on 21 December 1983 in Seville to qualify for the final tournament, where they finished as runners-up. This was Buttigieg's final international appearance.

His only goal at the international level came at the 1981 President's Cup, later known as the Korea Cup. Buttigieg scored in the 80th minute against fellow European minnows Liechtenstein to even the score during an eventual 1–1 draw.

Career statistics

International

International goals Scores and results list Malta's goal tally first.

No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 14 June 1981 Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju, South Korea 1–1 1–1 1981 President's Cup Football Tournament

Honours

Club Hibernians Maltese Premier League: 1978–79, 1980–81, 1981–82 Maltese FA Trophy: 1979–80, 1981–82 Testaferrata Cup: 1976–77, 1978–79, 1980–81

St. Patrick Maltese Second Division: 1988–89

Individual Maltese Player of the Year: 1980