by Dorianne Theuma has announced that she will be closing the curtain on an illustrious twenty-seven year journey as a football player at the end of the season. Known for her signature left-footed curlers, that cut open so many defences and broke the hearts of many goalkeepers over the years, the presence of Malta’s number six will surely be missed on the pitch as from next season.
She announced, “With a heavy heart and a lot of thinking, I feel it’s the right time to close an important chapter of my life at the end of this season. Playing football for twenty-seven years has defined the person I am today. It has been my passion, my lifestyle, my happiness. It has taught me invaluable lessons, discipline, resilience, respect. It has been an incredible journey, full of highs and lows, joys and sorrows, victories and defeats.”
Acknowledging the leadership role she grew to take as a veteran in the game, she continued, “I have absolutely no regrets. I did everything to the best of my ability and always tried to lead by example. I was always true to myself and never chose the easy way out, always doing what I felt was right at the time, even if it meant creating a few enemies along the way. For this, I am proud.”
Having started her career with Hibernians, Dorianne Theuma lifted twenty-four domestic trophies, including twelve league titles, with the Paolites across two stints. In between, she also lifted five domestic trophies with Mosta and most recently lifted the Assikura Women’s Knockout with Swieqi United last year.
While the exact number of appearances and goals remain to be finalised until the end of the season, there is no doubt that she will retire as the record domestic appearance holder (454+) and record domestic goalscorer, currently standing at 412 goals. Her performances throughout her career earned her eight titles as the MFA Player of the Year.
However, Dorianne Theuma’s legacy in football transcends the domestic leagues. Malta’s number six formed part of the first group of players at the inception of the Malta Women’s National Team in 2003. She will retire as the national team appearance record holder (115+) and the national team’s top scorer (26 goals and counting).
In doing so, Dorianne Theuma’s contributions to take Malta’s Women’s National Team into the status of respect that it is commanding today, cannot be overestimated. This, as the team continues to feature among the most positive stories in football, within and beyond Maltese shores.
The veteran thanked teammates and coaches who shaped the journey. While not shedding much light into the next steps, Dorianne Theuma finished her statement with the words, “From the little girl playing football in the streets, to captaining my country and clubs so proudly, I feel blessed for what I’ve managed to achieve and I only hope to see our game continue to grow.” The full statement may be read here.
However, the boots are not hung just yet. Dorianne Theuma returns with Swieqi United in the Assikura Women’s Knockout with sights set on defending their trophy. They next face Hibernians in the semi-final in the upcoming week (exact fixtures still to be announced).
An inspiration to many, Dorianne Theuma will certainly leave the game in a much better place than she found it, both on and off the pitch.
Until then, those interested in diving deeper into her career can take a look at the long-form interview The Sporting Fan did with her at the end of last season here.
Lead Image: Mark Zammit Cordina
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