17 foreign teams coming to Malta for training camps
Seventeen foreign teams will be coming over to Malta between 3 January and 4 February to stage training camps.
This is an initiative of the MFA’s SportsPlus Ltd with the cooperation of its partners in this field.
Among the clubs visiting will be well known sides Augsburg of Germany, Belgian side Brugge, Czech Republic sides FC Zbrojovka, FC Banik Ostrava and FK Mlada Boleslav, Slovakian side DAC Dunajska Streda, Stabaek of Norway, Honved of Hungary, Lech Poznan of Poland and Austria Vienna. The Liechtenstein national men’s team is also included in the list of teams holding a training camp here in the last week of January.
Several women’s teams will also be visiting. These hail from The Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey, with the latter two being the national teams.
Addressing a news conference yesterday, Helmut Amhof of SportsPlus Ltd, said it all started during the past few years, but especially last year with the arrival of Italian Serie A team Fiorentina.
He added: “Now we have 17 teams coming over. That is the limit with the facilities available. We cannot accept others at present despite negotiations with five other clubs, but we believe it is better to have them training here and going back home satisfied with their stay here.”
Jason Micallef, chairman of MFA SportsPlus Ltd, thanked MFA president Bjorn Vassallo for accepting to help.
“When I accepted Vassallo’s invitation to become chairman of this company, I knew this would be part of the MFA president’s vision for football till 2007 from the commercial aspect.
“We will be trying wholeheartedly to generate good revenue which will be pumped back as an investment in local football. On top of all will be our intention of seeing our national teams gaining better results in future,” he said.
Micallef also said that even the Small Nations Games Malta edition in 2003 will stand to benefit if this initiative becomes the success they were aiming for.
Another speaker was Carlo Micallef, CEO and Chief Marketing Officer of the Malta Tourism Authority.
He assured everyone that this will prove to be one of the best niches for tourism especially during these winter months.
“If all goes well as was the case with the visit of Holland’s PSV Eindhoven two years ago, then I firmly believe that this initiative has a bright future,” he added.
Angelo Chetcuti, MFA secretary general, said all this has been achieved during the past 18 months.
“Now we are working to enlarge this idea taking it as an opportunity to become beneficial for us (MFA) and our partners. We are lucky with the weather and the facilities, but if we are to get more teams here during this time of the year, it is obvious we will need more pitches and facilities.
“The results achieved till today are certainly encouraging and they are motivating us to look forward to a successful future,” he said.