Simon Tortell (8 August 1959 — 15 June 2012) was a Maltese footballer. He was born in Sliema, Malta.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Simon Tortell | ||
| Date of birth | (1959-08-08)8 August 1959 | ||
| Place of birth | Sliema, Malta | ||
| Date of death | 15 June 2012(2012-06-15) (aged 52) | ||
| Position(s) | striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1975–1984 | Sliema Wanderers | 63 | (18) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1978–1983 | Malta | 5 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 June 2012 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 June 2012 | |||
Tortell was a striker who played for nine years with Sliema Wanderers, winning a league title and a FA Trophy medal with them. He scored in the 1979 FA Trophy Final against Floriana. He retired at age 24 to graduate from Malta University and become a lawyer.
Tortell made his debut for Malta in an October 1978 European Championship qualification match against Wales. He earned a total of 5 caps, scoring 1 goal.
His final international was the infamous[1] December 1983 European Championship qualification defeat by Spain, which Malta lost 1-12, ensuring that Spain qualified for Euro 1984 ahead of the Netherlands on goal difference.[2]
After retirement, Tortell became a successful lawyer and was partner at his own firm Simon Tortell & Associates.[3] His father, Peter Tortell, also played for Sliema Wanderers in the 1950s. Simon Tortell died after a long illness on June 14, 2012, at age 52. He was married to Silvana Tortell and was father of three daughters.[4]