Luxol St.Andrews in main round group of the UEFA Champions League
Group matches to be played in Malta from the 25th October
Luxol St. Andrews Futsal Club will shortly embark on its latest journey in the UEFA Champions League Main Round Competition.
A third-time event held in Malta, first-ever with the Maltese representatives hosting this event pitted from Path A in a Group 3 also comprising Slovenian Champions Dobovec, Dutch representatives Hovocubo, and reigning European Champions Barçelona (Spain).
The Main Round group in Malta between the 25th and 30th of October is scheduled to be staged at the University Sports Complex in Msida.
On Wednesday a Press Conference was held and that followed Luxol’s Super Cup success last Friday, beating the University of Malta in a resounding 11-1 win result, and on the doorstep of their brief training experience in Poland over the coming days whereby play multiple friendlies against Polish Champions Piast Gliwice.
Luxol officials, Mireille and Joe Aquilina, in their roles of Event Coordinator and Chairman of the club, President Mario Vella, and Technical Director Nathaniel Jones all delivered speeches during Press Conference.
Jones highlighted the fact this could be a unique opportunity for Luxol Futsal to write history and progress to the Elite Round with the best sixteen teams in Europe, being that three of four teams in this Group 3 held in Malta will be granted qualification.
He added that this tournament will arguably represent the highest standards in terms of international Futsal being that reigning European Champions Barcelona will also be involved, he also presented new signings for this UEFA competition, former Lazio player, Slovenian Dejan Bizjak, and four Brazilian newcomers, Diece, Rodrigo Fumaca, Victor Dias and keeper Celio Cabral.
Other signings for this Euro experience include homegrown Luke Gatt, Andre Ciancio, Gregory Busuttil, and Ryan Marmara.
Technical Director concluded that the skills and knowledge of the game by new additions, also engaged with the attributes of coach Gabriel Dobre, and established players in the team including Mark Zammit, Stefan Vella, Emil Raducu, Everton Veve, Maicon Da Silva, and Celino Alves, will surely render this group of athletes the best possibility of writing history and qualify to the Elite Round of this well-regarded competition.
Club chairman Joe Aquilina affirmed that friendly matches in Poland later this week will surely serve to gauge where the team currently stands.
In regards to the UEFA tournament, Aquilina announced that the sale of tickets will cover all six matches.
He added, “We want people to enjoy a good three days of competitive high-level Futsal, moreover support the home team during the two more balanced games”.
President Mario Vella also highlighted the logistics requirements to host a tournament of this magnitude, adding this is the end result of the collective endeavor of a group of people who passionately give their all to see this Futsal club grow, “this is a team well prepared for elite European level”, Vella added, also thanking the sponsors for their trust and in being part of this event.
Minister for Tourism Clayton Bartolo outlined, “Sports tourism is a sterling opportunity to promote the Maltese Islands. Investing in athletes and promotion through Visit Malta are pivotal to our strategy competitiveness of generating incremental tourism throughout the year”.
Perm Sec in Minister Clifton Grima’s office Matthew Vella also claimed that sports always gives you the opportunity to reap what you sow, and all efforts in recent years undertaken by Luxol are a huge inspiration to other clubs in various disciplines to set the ball rolling and step up to be successful.
Vella also encouraged the Maltese public to be part of this event and push Luxol Futsal Club forward in their pursuit of making history and become the first ever Maltese club to qualify from this UEFA Champions League Main Round, thereafter join the best sixteen teams in the next Elite Round of competition.