Lincoln Red Imps' focus turns to domestic league

Lincoln Red Imps now turn their focus towards the domestic league. Having successfully navigated their historic European campaign — during which they narrowly missed out on reaching the knockout phase of the Conference League by mere goal difference — the league’s defending champions will now look to consolidate their position with positive results from their forthcoming fixtures this January.

Facing both St Joseph’s and Europa in the coming weeks, Lincoln Red Imps will aim to take points from two of their main rivals while keeping their unbeaten run intact.

It is not the ideal moment to face such crucial encounters, with players coming off a long summer of football and a December in which they faced two matches a week before being knocked out of the Conference League. This was followed by a forced break due to the festive season. Although the break was perfectly timed to provide rest, it could also act as a negative factor by disrupting the team’s focus after such an intense start to the campaign.

The club is already assessing the potential benefits of their European progress. While the financial gains are significant, the club has hinted that the costs of playing in Europe are far greater than many estimate. Nevertheless, the pressure has eased slightly. While Champions League qualification remains the primary objective, this season’s success provides a margin for error — even if “failure” is not a term the club accepts being associated with.

Forced to use 29 players throughout their campaign so far, Lincoln Red Imps boast one of the deepest squads in the domestic league. Their rotational approach, implemented to keep players fresh for Europe, has allowed fringe players to gain meaningful minutes. It has also provided head coach Juanjo Bezares with multiple tactical options rather than a rigid starting XI.

Unlike rivals St Joseph’s, Lincoln Red Imps’ long-term policy of balancing home-grown players with foreign imports has seen their youth structure strengthen considerably in recent years. Often criticised for the dominance they now hold, Lincoln Red Imps continue to establish their presence in Gibraltar football, with many of their home-grown players also representing Gibraltar internationally. This benefits both club and country, widening the gap further between them and the rest of the league.

Lincoln Red Imps continue to set new standards in Gibraltar football. Their progress in Europe, although often viewed critically by domestic rivals who fear their growing financial and competitive strength, continues to pave the way for others. Their latest European success — while not yet officially confirmed — is likely to see Gibraltar regain four European qualification spots in the coming seasons.

However, not all is as positive as some might suggest. To maintain their domestic dominance and compete in Europe, the club has reduced its reliance on home-grown players at times, occasionally fielding only the minimum three required. This potentially limits the development pipeline for the national team.

By targeting players from lower tiers in Spanish football, Lincoln Red Imps have shown that looking beyond major leagues can be beneficial. Signings such as Kolega demonstrate how bringing in players with European club experience can strengthen the squad without breaking the bank.

With St Joseph’s now within reach, the next few weeks could prove crucial as Lincoln attempt to defend their title and maintain their Champions League ambitions. Unbeaten in their twelve matches, they have dropped just two points — against St Joseph’s. Repeating that performance could hand them the advantage entering the third round of the competition.

For Bezares, the challenge now will be squad management. With European distractions gone, he can finally field his strongest XI consistently, which may push some players who previously earned minutes through rotation back to the fringes.

This shift may also concern the Gibraltar national team ahead of their crucial play-off against Latvia for promotion to League C. Players like Jessop, Clinton, and Chipolina — among the fringe players — rely on club minutes for development. Even Pozo, despite cementing himself as a regular starter, faces fierce competition that could impact his playing time.

Lincoln have used eleven home-grown players in their twelve domestic matches so far. However, only four have played over 500 minutes from a total of 1080 available. Seven others have featured briefly, with Torrilla (452 minutes) the closest to regular involvement. The rest are below 200 minutes.

While many clubs field only the minimum required home-grown players, Lincoln Red Imps remain one of the few who still attempt to integrate local talents as part of their long-term model. Joined by clubs such as Bruno’s Magpies, Manchester 62 (forced through internal crisis), and recently Europa, Lincoln’s approach — although criticised — has still offered a platform for home-grown development rather than restricting involvement purely to meet regulations.

Despite this, the minutes played in the domestic league do not fully represent the actual workloads. The rotational structure implemented throughout the European campaign allowed Lincoln to build momentum while balancing fitness, even if it hindered individual appearance tallies.

Remarkably, none of the 29 players have played all 1080 minutes — highlighting how Bezares has managed to keep the squad active without depending on a fixed core.

In contrast, St Joseph’s have leaned heavily on a consistent starting XI. Lincoln, meanwhile, have introduced home-grown players from the bench regularly, granting opportunities to young talents. Notably, club legend Lee Casciaro, despite making the bench on several occasions, has only played nine minutes of domestic football this season — a sign of the club’s evolution.

While both Lincoln and St Joseph’s have focused on experienced imports, Lincoln’s home-grown players form a younger generation, with (excluding Casciaro) only Lopes in his thirties. Players such as Pozo, De Barr and Torrilla have emerged as key figures, with Hankins now establishing himself as first-choice goalkeeper.

Defending their title, Lincoln Red Imps could again pave the way for home-grown representation in the Champions League. Their success, however, masks the reality that local football has declined sharply in home-grown participation and is now among the sports with the fewest local players on the field in Gibraltar.
Ranked – Total Minutes Played
Rank Player Minutes
1 Garcia Montero 964
2 Lopes (C) 956 (GIB)
3 Sosa Pena 878
4 Hankins (GK) 630 (GIB)
5 De Barr 727 (GIB)
6 Gonzalez Maroto 773
7 Dabo 586
8 Arguez Ruiz 582
9 Pozo 581 (GIB)
10 Gomez Bernal 585
11 Rutjens Oliva 545
12 Garcia Santana (GK) 540
13 Torrilla 452 (GIB)
14 Martinez Oliver 468
15 Kolega 423
16 Munoz Benavides 411
17 Flalhi Idrissi 304
18 Toscano 296
19 Villacanas 276
20 Ayew 346
21 Jessop 191 (GIB)
22 Elghobashy 191
23 Clinton 159 (GIB)
24 Fernandez Fernandez 53
25 Peacock 23 (GIB)
26 Chipolina 19 (GIB)
27 Carrington 12 (GIB)
28 Casciaro L 9 (GIB)
29 Fernandez Acal 0