Football Sticker Trading: Maltese Hobby Moves To Facebook

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Most of us are familiar with the scene of kids, teenagers and adults alike trading Panini football stickers before, during and after major international football tournaments. The corner of Anastasi in Valletta would normally be packed with enthusiasts racing through numbers, swapping for the players they need to complete the full album as soon as possible.

We’ve been robbed of that sight given the pandemic and the restrictions and safety measures around, however, social media was always bound to provide the next best solution.

When in doubt, use Facebook

With the tournament itself being delayed from last year, Euro 2020 is taking place this summer of 21, but with strict measures limiting social gatherings and not swapping stickers to reduce points of contact, the activity which has been going on for decades had to find a new temporary home.

Rather than swapping in public hand-to-hand, enthusiasts upload images of which numbers they still have left as well as which stickers they’ve got multiple copies of.

In an interview with Times of Malta, Luke Anastasi revealed how they also manage the Facebook group Panini Stickers Malta. “The spirit and excitement of collectors have not been hampered by the pandemic,” he revealed. “If anything, it migrated online. This is why we opened up the swap group on Facebook and it’s worked for a while.”

Hopefully, this has all been a one-off, and with the World Cup to come in 2022, there’s every possibility that next year will see the Panini crowds return to that famous corner of Valletta.

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Coleccionistas de figuritas se citan en la tienda Panini más antigua del  mundo - Mundial Rusia 2018 | Foto 1 de 3 | Fútbol | Peru.com
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