Malta seen as the ideal Football Training Camp destination
Malta Football Camps, in association with the Malta Football Association, spoke about Malta being the ideal destination for any professional football club looking for a winter training camp during a joint press conference.
Bundesliga German football club Fortuna Dusseldorf are in Malta for a one-week training camp which will see them departing tomorrow.
Head Coach Friedhelm Funkel spoke of the excellent facilities provided during his team’s stay here in Malta.
He said: “I think that Malta is the ideal destination for any football club who is looking for the perfect winter training camp away from his country’s wintry weather. Excellent training facilities at Ta’ Qali and good weather – though to be honest we did expect much better weather and less wind at this point,” jokingly referring to the cold weather that hit Malta in recent days.
Romanian top tier club CS Universitatea Craiova are also on the island enjoying a 10-day winter training camp.
Both teams figured in a 11 draw in a friendly match on Saturday evening at the National Stadium, Ta’ Qali.
Other professional clubs to follow suit this year are FC St. Gallen, currently in 6th position in the Swiss Super League who will be in Malta as from January 11 to 21 followed by Norwegian Tippeligaen side Stabaek who will arrive on the island on February 3 and stay for a 10-day training camp.
Austrian Bundesliga side RZ Pellets WAC are scheduled for their training camp later on this month arriving on January 20 – same period that FC Winthertur from the Swiss Super League will be here.
The biggest attraction to Maltese fans will be the Slovakia national team who have chosen Malta as their destination for a training camp between March 20 and 27. And that will include the World Cup 2018 Group F qualifier, scheduled for 26 March at Ta’ Qali National Stadium.
The press conference was also addressed by Malta Tourism Authority Chairman Dr Gavin Gulia, Dr Angelo Chetcuti, General Secretary of the Malta Football Association, Hannes Empl, Chairman of Malta Football Camps, and Antonio Gambardella, Managing Director of TRAVEL club, Switzerland’s most successful training camps organisation, amongst others.