August 2001
Fri 31
- UEFA Under 21 Championship Group 3 Malta vs Bulgaria 2-2
- Pietà Hotspurs sacked Italian manager Marco Savia after a poor start with two defeats in two games for the Hotspurs this season. Since replacing Georgi Deanov last season, Savia has failed to keep the Hotspurs on the same track. Last season, Pietà played in the Relegation Pool. For this season, they had set ambitious targets, namely that of reaching a place in the Championship Pool and possibly a place in the UEFA competitions. The team was strengthened with the signing of Nigerian duo Chris Okoh and Digger Okonkwo, former national goalie Ernest Barry, Sandro Zammit Fava, Anglo-Maltese striker Jamie Pace and two Italians Diego Palermo and Matteo Dionigi. However two defeats, especially the second one against neighbours Hamrun Spartans brought Savia's experience with Pietà to an end. He has now been replaced by former Zurrieq and Birkirkara defender Todor Raykov who had been appointed as the head-coach of the Pietà youth nursery this summer.
- Midfielders Joe Brincat of Birkirkara and David Camilleri of Sliema were two of the five players who were dropped from the provisional 23-man squad national coach Sigi Held had named on Monday. Joe Brincat is still recovering from an injury. On the other hand, Camilleri has been omitted for the reason that he has failed to conquer a regular starting place at Sliema this season. Also out of the 18-man squad for Saturday's game are the injured George Mallia and Jonathan Holland together with Lino Galea. Holland sustained an injury during the pre-season training camp in Germany. On the other hand, Mallia limped off injured during a match in the Hibernians pre-season tournament.
The 18 players available for tomorrow's game are therefore: goalkeepers Saviour Darmanin (Pietà) and Mario Muscat (Hibs); defenders David Carabott (Valletta), Jeffrey Chetcuti (Valletta), Ian Ciantar (Sliema), Darren Debono (Valletta), Luke Dimech (Sliema), Brian Said (Sliema), Michael Spiteri (Birkirkara), Daniel Theuma (Valletta); midfielders Stefan Giglio (CSKA Sofia), Hubert Suda (Birkirkara), Noel Turner (Sliema),
Antoine Zahra (Birkirkara) and strikers Gilbert Agius (Pisa), Malcolm Licari (Pietà), Michael Mifsud (Kaiserslautern) and Chucks Nwoko (Birkirkara).
Meanwhile Bulgarian coach Stoicho Mladenov has more injury problems. VfB Stuttgart midfielder Krassimir Balakov is not 100 percent fit after a heel injury and could miss tomorrow's game. Defender Rossen Kirilov and striker Svetoslav Todorov have already been ruled out due to injury and suspension respectively.
- Sta. Lucia Tournament Marsaxlokk vs Marsa 2-1, Pietà H. vs Rabat A. 2-1
Premier side Pietà Hotspurs and First Division promotion hopefuls Marsaxlokk qualified for the final of the Sta. Lucia Easyline Tournament which will be played on Monday.
In the semi-finals which were played on Friday, Marsaxlokk defeated Marsa 2-1 with Malcolm Tirchett and Johann Zammit scoring for the winners and Kurt Formosa replying for Marsa. In the other semi-final, Pietà Hotspurs defeated Rabat Ajax 2-1. Anthony Galea and Chris Okoh gave Pietà a two-goal lead and Emmanuel Muscat pulled one back for Rabat in the second half.
- Fgura Tournament Kirkop U. vs Tarxien R.
Thu 30
- Naxxar Lions will be appointing Albanian defender Edmond Lufi as the new player-coach. Lufi, who is also a Maltese citizen, was released by Pietà after the first league game against Birkirkara. Ironically he was named team-captain just a couple of days earlier. With Lufi, Naxxar managed to engage a coach holding an A-License two weeks ahead of the deadline imposed by the MFA on clubs without an A-Licensed coach. Gianfranco Selvaggi will act as Team Manager. With the signing of Edmond Lufi, Naxxar also succeeded in filling the gap at the back of the defence. Meanwhile, speaking during the presentation of a new sponsor for the club, Naxxar president Michael Zammit Tabona announced that striker Chima Dozie will have the opportunity of joining Belgian First Division side Antwerp for a trial in September. Antwerp have good links with clubs in England, including Manchester United. Dozie played for 15 times for the Nigerian Under 21 national team. Zammit Tabona also said that a Nigerian forward will be joining the club in ten days' time. This player currently plays for a club in the Nigerian Premier League. Naxxar's new sponsors are Aberdeen Investment Funds, represented in Malta by Globe Organisation. The Naxxar president said that all local clubs face financial problems. The main problem is due to the absence of income for the clubs. Although expenses are on the increase, clubs are getting less money and people are contributing less. It is of utmost importance that clubs get a larger share of gate-money. Zammit Tabona said that the club's only income is the result of business ventures set up at the club. The partnership with Aberdeen Investment Funds should bear fruit in the long-term. The Managing Director of Globe Organisation, Mr Galea Debono said that their target was to get closer to the community and through such sponsorships, they will be fulfilling such aims.
- Defender Rossen Kirilov has withdrawn from Bulgaria's squad to play Malta in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday after failing to overcome an injury. He is not expected to recover from an abdominal problem in time for the game against Malta. West Ham United striker Svetoslav Todorov, who is serving a one-match ban, will also miss the game in Malta.
The Bulgarian contingent made up of the players of the senior squad and the Under 21 squad is expected to arrive on Thursday. The Under 21 teams face each other on Friday at the National Stadium at 18:00 while the senior teams play on Saturday at 20:00.
Speaking about Saturday's game, Bulgarian coach Stoicho Mladenov said "We don't underestimate Malta, because every game is important and from now on it will be hard to gain victories. I will ground the best team that I can and I hope we will win."
Standing in joint second-place together with the Czech Republic on 12 points, two behind leaders Denmark, Bulgaria needs six points from next Saturday's match at Ta' Qali and Wednesday's clash against Denmark in Sofia.
- The Birkirkara squad's stay in Tbilisi was described as a "very bad experience" by John Borg, PRO of Birkirkara FC.
Speaking to The Malta Independent, Borg said that he believed it was psychological warfare. At the hotel, Birkirkara were made to pay for certain things which were supposedly covered by the agreement they had reached previously. This included unexpected bills for water ($150 per day), ice packs ($10) and cans of Coca-Cola ($2 each). As they were about to leave the hotel, they were asked to pay another Lm1,000 and the Birkirkara officials were threatened that the police would be informed and they would not be allowed to leave before paying the amount. But the club officials refused to pay and on Friday they left the hotel. In all besides the estimated Lm14,000, they had to pay another Lm3,000 due to the extra bills. The atmosphere in Tbilisi was certainly not serene as the players could witness a man being beaten by persons who descended from a car and another occasion when police failed to assist a wounded woman lying in the street. After the game, the Birkirkara players were pelted with missiles, mainly plastic bottles. But still, the newspapers in Tbilisi had words of praise for the Birkirkara side.
- Zurrieq striker Stephen Wellman is set to join Premier Division side Floriana. Wellman, who was close to joining Hamrun a couple of weeks ago, is on trial with the Greens and has also played for them in a friendly match against Naxxar on Tuesday at the Centenary Stadium. Also on trial with the Greens are two players from Cameroon. One of these players could replace one of the three foreigners, Floriana have currently on their books - Riad Mynel Gango-Rtsa, Eduardo do Nascimento and Rufin Oba.
- Fgura Tournament Zebbug R. vs Fgura U.
- Sta. Lucia Tournament Birzebbuga SP vs Sta. Lucia 0-0
- Mosta Under 19 Challenge Floriana vs Hibs 1-4, Mosta vs St. Patrick 1-1 (3-4 pen)
Wed 29
- The MFA Disciplinary Commissioner suspended two Hamrun players, Graham Bencini and Roderick Bajada, for one game each.
- Mosta Tournament Semi-Finals St. Andrews vs Senglea A. 1-1 (4-1 pen), Mosta vs Mqabba 2-1
First Division sides Mosta and St. Andrews will be contesting the final which will be played on Thursday 6th September. In the semi-finals, Mosta defeated Mqabba 2-1 while the Saints needed the penalty shoot-out to beat Senglea Athletic 4-1 following a 1-1 draw.
- Sta. Lucia Tournament Marsa vs Sta. Lucia 4-1, Birzebbuga SP vs Pietà H. 0-3
- The naturalised Maltese international striker Nenad Veselji signed a three-year contract with Sliema Wanderers, thus ending speculation that he could be joining Valletta.
Veselji had been transferred from Birkirkara to Sliema Wanderers in July in an exchange deal involving Under 21 international defender Mark Anthony Bonnici but since the player was still recovering from an injury, he did not sign immediately. This fuelled speculation that Sliema would be ready to exchange the player as other clubs like Valletta were interested in obtaining his services.
Nenad Veselji arrived in Malta in season 1994/95 and played for three years with Floriana - a period during which he suffered from long-term injuries. In 1997/98 he moved to Valletta where he played for three years. After starting last season with Valletta, in December, he moved to Birkirkara where he only made a couple of short appearances before being rules out due to another long-term injury.
In the mean time, Sliema Wanderers engaged 18-year old Nigerian midfielder Jude Amin Utulu as their third foreigner. He replaces former Vicenza defender Massimo Beghetto, whose one-month loan with Sliema expired at the end of last week.
Tue 28
- Carmel Busuttil has been appointed as the general manager of a football school which will open in Malta soon.
Well informed sources told maltafootball.com that the Italian football school will be based in Pietà for the time being. Among the persons involved in this football school is former Roma and Italy midfielder Bruno Conti. The school will be launched officially in mid-September.
'Il-Buzu' played his last game for Sliema on Thursday as the Blues defeated Matador Puchov in the second leg of the UEFA Cup Qualifying Round. On several occasions, he had expressed his wish to start up coaching after quitting his playing career. In July, he was approached by the management of the Pietà Hotspurs Youth Nursery in order to join them in the coaching staff under the guide of Bulgarian head-coach Todor Raykov.
Carmel Busuttil already has some coaching experience as he has acted as player-coach for Sliema during four periods in the last four years.
- Friendly Match Floriana vs Naxxar L. 1-0, goal by Mark Galea
A serious incident took place after the friendly match between Floriana and Naxxar Lions at the Centenary Stadium. An established Floriana player was asked by the referee to leave the pitch following an argument with an opponent. The Floriana player waited for him after the game and when the Naxxar players were returning to the dressing rooms, he punched Nicky Fasanelli in the face. Fasanelli was taken to hospital where an X-ray was taken in order to identify the seriousness of the wound.
- The future of Pietà's Italian manager Marco Savia is in balance after two defeats in the first two outings for the Hotspurs. The Pietà committee is currently analysing the situation after the team disappointed a lot in the first two games. Pietà had set ambitious targets for this season, namely that of reaching a place in the Championship Pool and possibly a place in the UEFA competitions. The team was strengthened with the signing of Nigerian duo Chris Okoh and Digger Okonkwo, former national goalie Ernest Barry, Sandro Zammit Fava, Anglo-Maltese striker Jamie Pace and two Italians Diego Palermo and Matteo Dionigi. But still the Hotspurs had a most negative start.
If Savia gets sacked there are three main options: Todor Raykov who is currently the head-coach of Pietà youth nursery, former national coach Josif Ilic and former Rabat Ajax player-coach Ziya Yildiz who has just finished a coaching course in Sarajevo.
- Sta. Lucia Tournament Rabat A. vs Sta. Lucia 4-0, Marsaxlokk vs Pietà H. 2-2
- Mosta Under 19 Challenge Floriana vs Pietà H. 3-3 (4-2 pen), Hibernians vs Sliema W. 1-4
In the Mosta Under 19 Challenge, Pietà and Sliema Wanderers will be contesting the final after defeating Floriana 3-3 (4-2 pen) and Hibernians 4-1 respectively. The final will be held on Monday.
- Fgura Tournament Sta. Venera L. vs Tarxien R.
Mon 27
- Sta. Lucia Tournament Marsaxlokk vs Birzebbuga SP 7-0, Rabat Ajax vs Marsa 2-1
The Sta. Lucia Tournament, sponsored by Maltacom through Easyline, kicked-off on Monday with two wins for First Division sides Marsaxlokk and Rabat Ajax. Marsaxlokk, favourites for promotion in the First Division League which kicks off on the 15th September, started off with a 7-0 win over Third Division side Birzebbuga St. Peter's. Malcolm Tichett, who joined the club on loan from Hibs after playing for Qormi last season, scored four goals. Johann Zammit scored two and Angel Mifsud one. In another game, Rabat Ajax defeated Premier League side Marsa 2-1 with Donovan Friggieri and Charlot Antonelli scoring for Rabat, Peter Cachia scoring for Marsa.
- Mosta Tournament Mosta vs Senglea A. 1-0, St. Andrews vs Mqabba 2-1
Mosta, Mqabba, St. Andrews and Senglea Athletic will be contesting the semi-finals of the Gammari Muscat Mosta Tournament. In the last two games from the group stages, Mosta defeated Senglea Athletic 1-0 to win Group A while St. Andrews claimed the top spot in Group B after defeating Mqabba 2-1. Mosta meet Mqabba, runners-up of Group B, while St. Andrews face Second Division side Senglea Athletic, runners-up of Group A.
- National coach Sigi Held named a provisional 23-man squad for the two
matches from the World Cup Qualifying Round Group 3 against Bulgaria at Ta'
Qali and the Czech Republic in Teplice. There were no surprise choices in
the squad which includes the three players currently plying their trade
abroad - Stefan Giglio, Michael Mifsud and Gilbert Agius. The squad will
then be trimmed to 18 for the two matches.
Addressing a press conference, MFA president Dr Joe Mifsud said that this season there was a positive balance for the local clubs taking part in the UEFA competitions where none of the local teams were defeated at home. Mifsud said that the national team started its preparation in July and new national coach Sigi held used the training camp in Germany to study the material at his disposal.
Both games against Bulgaria at home next Saturday and against the Czech Republic in Teplice in ten days' time will be very difficult. The two countries are still aiming at qualifying for the World Cup in Korea and Japan. Besides that the Czech Republic will be trying to revenge the two points lost at Ta' Qali by obtaining a large win.
Mifsud said that the presence of Stefan Giglio in the Maltese squad is raising particular interest in Bulgarians. In fact 30 journalists and reporters will be travelling to Malta for the game.
National coach Sigi Held said the he still has to check the condition of the Birkirkara players who arrived this morning and that of Stefan Giglio and Michael Mifsud who return today as well. Held, who will be guiding Malta for the first time in competitive matches,
said he is glad the squad is training on a professional basis. Bulgaria and
the Czech Republic are very strong sides and the only way Malta could
compensate for the gap in the level of football between that in Malta and
that of its opponents is through team spirit and fighting spirit. It is only
if the Maltese players give their 100% that Malta could hope to achieve a
positive result. Held said that he is not pleased with a situation where players in the senior squad like Saviour Darmanin, David Camilleri and Luke Dimech are not playing regularly with their clubs. Although George Mallia is part of the squad, he will probably be dropped as he is still recovering from an injury.
The players selected by Held, a former German international, are
goalkeepers Saviour Darmanin and Mario Muscat; defenders David Carabott,
Jeffrey Chetcuti, Ian Ciantar, Darren Debono, Luke Dimech, Lino Galea, Brian
Said, Michael Spiteri, Daniel Theuma; midfielders Joe Brincat, David
Camilleri, Stefan Giglio, Jonathan Holland, Hubert Suda, Noel Turner,
Antoine Zahra and strikers Gilbert Agius, Malcolm Licari, George Mallia,
Michael Mifsud and Chucks Nwoko.
- Gilbert Agius returned to Malta on Saturday in order to collect some documents necessary for him to be able to obtain a work permit in Italy.
These documents were sent from Italy to Italian Embassy in Malta. Agius will have to return to Italy on Wednesday in order to present these documents.
Gilbert Agius will then be back in Malta on Thursday evening where he will join his national team colleagues in the preparation for the World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.
- Under 21 coach Ray 'Zazu' Farrugia is confident that with the same fighting spirit shown by his players in Bosnia, Malta could achieve a positive result in the Under 21 game against Bulgaria on Friday. In Bosnia, Malta lost 1-0, a goal in the 92nd minute. Farrugia also has 23 players at his disposal. Antoine Zahra, who has just joined Hibernians is part of the squad after being 'loaned' from the senior side. The squad is made up of goalkeepers Reuben Gauci and Justin Haber; defenders Ian Azzopardi, Mark Anthony Bonnici, William Camenzuli, Rennie Forace, Lee Lombardi, Carlo Mamo, Kenneth Scicluna, Aaron Xuereb; midfielders Etienne Barbara, Victor Bellia, Roderick Briffa, Joseph Farrugia, Matthew Galea, Claude Mattocks, Kevin Sammut, Antoine Zahra and strikers William Borg, Andrew Cohen, Anatole Debono, Michael Galea and Miguel Mifsud. Mark Anthony Bonnici and Matthew Galea are still recovering from injuries. Andrew Cohen and Aaron Xuereb are ruled out due to injuries. Another two players who would possibly be removed are Lee Lombardi and Roderick Briffa. Coach Ray 'Zazu' Farrugia said that the removal of Massimo Grima is due to his wrong attitude. He went on to say that Grima could be a great player but unless he changes this attitude, he will no longer consider him for selection.
- Gilbert Agius returned to Malta on Saturday in order to collect some documents necessary for him to be able to obtain a work permit in Italy.
These documents were sent from Italy to Italian Embassy in Malta. Agius will have to return to Italy on Wednesday in order to present these documents.
Gilbert Agius will then be back in Malta on Thursday evening where he will join his national team colleagues in the preparation for the World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.
- Fgura Tournament Vittoriosa S. vs Fgura U.
Sun 26
- Premier League Marsa vs Naxxar L. 2-1, Hibs vs Sliema W. 2-1
- Mosta Tournament Senglea A. vs St. Patrick 2-1
- Stefan Giglio's CSKA Sofia went on top of the Bulgarian Premier League together with Neftohimik Bourgas after beating Marek 1-0. Luboslav Penev converted a penalty on the 89th minute to give CSKA the three points. Just after the goal, Hristo Arangelol of Marek was sent off for a challenge on Stefan Giglio. This prompted the fans of the home team to start throwing water bottles onto the field forcing the referee to add an extra 17 minutes of playing time. Meanwhile Michael Mifsud's Kaiserslautern Amateure suffered the sixth defeat in six games losing 2-0 to SV Wehen in the Regionalligen Sud. The team lies at the bottom of the table without any points.
Sat 25
- Premier League Pietà H. vs Hamrun S. 0-3, Lija A. vs Valletta 0-2
- Bulgaria national team coach Stoicho Maldenov named the squad for next Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Malta. There were no surprise choices in the squad which includes four colleagues of Stefan Giglio from CSKA Sofia. Goalkeepers: Zdravko Zdravkov (Istanbulspor), Dimiter Ivankov (Levski);Defenders: Ivailo Petkov (Istanbulspor), Predrag Pazhin (Kocaelispor), Georgi Markov (Levski), Alexander Tomash (CSKA), Rosen Kirilov (Litex); Midfielders: Krasimir Balakov (Stuttgart), Stilian Petrov (Celtic), Georgi Peev (Dinamo Kyiv), Bisser Ivanov (Levski), Svetoslav Petrov (CSKA), Todor Yanchev (CSKA), Milen Petkov (AEK Athens), Alexander Alexandrov (Kocaelispor), Krasimir Chomakov (Lecce); Forwards: Svetoslav Todorov (West Ham), Dimiter Berbatov (Bayer Leverkusen), Stoicho Stoilov (Nuremberg), Georgi Ivanov (Levski), Vladimir Manchev (CSKA), Martin Petrov (Wolfsburg)
Earlier this week, Czech Republic coach Chovanek left Fiorentina defender Tomas Repka out of the squad which faces Malta on September 5th after the player failed to turn up for a friendly against South Korea. Patrik Berger is missing due to an injury while Lazio midfielder Karel Poborsky is back.
Goalkeepers: Pavel Srnicek, Ladislav Maier, Martin Vaniak; Defenders: Petr Johana, Marek Jankulowski, Jiri Novotny, Zdenek Grygera, Roman Tyce, Jan Velkoborsky; Midfielders: Miroslav Baranek, Pavel Horvath, Karel Poborsky, Pavel Nedved, Jiri Jarosik, Tomas Rosicky, Ivo Ulich; Forwards: Milan Baros, Jan Koller, Vratislav Lokvenc, Ludek Straceny, Pavel Kuka.
Fri 24
- Birkirkara FC were drawn to meet Dinamo Moscow in the UEFA Cup First Round in the draws which were held in Monaco. The Stripes are scheduled to play in Moscow on the 13th September and then at Ta' Qali on the 27th. Dinamo Moscow has already played another two times in Malta in the Cup Winners' Cup. In season 1977-78, they defeated Valletta 2-0 at the Gzira Stadium and 5-0 in Moscow while in 1984/85, they defeated Hamrun Spartans 5-0 in Moscow and 1-0 at Ta' Qali for an aggregate 6-0 score.
On Thursday, Birkirkara obtained a historic 1-1 draw against Lokomotiv Tbilisi in Tbilisi. This meant that after the goalless draw at Ta' Qali, the Stripes qualified on the away-goals rule.
- Premier Division sides Pietà Hotspurs and Marsa will be taking part in a tournament, organised by Second Division side Sta. Lucia, which kicks off next week.
Also taking part are two teams from Division 1, Marsaxlokk and Rabat Ajax; two from Division 2, Dingli Swallows and Zurrieq and another two from Division 3, Zejtun Corinthians and hosts Sta. Lucia.
Two matches will be played daily between the 27th August and 3rd September. The eight teams will be divided in two groups with two teams from each qualifying for the semi-finals.
- Nenad Veselji is set to return with Valletta as the Citizens are still
searching for a striker who would partner with Chris Oretan in the City
attack.
Nenad Veselji had been transferred from Birkirkara to Sliema Wanderers in
July but since the player is still recovering from an injury, he has yet to
make a first appearance for the Blues. The naturalised Maltese striker is
on the top of Valletta's wanted list after having played for them for three
years and a half before joining Birkirkara last December. But since then he
only played a couple of matches before being ruled out due a long term
injury.
Although Sliema Wanderers went through difficult negotiations before finally
landing Veselji, it seems that now they could reach an agreement with
Valletta over his transfer. One or more Valletta players could join Sliema
as part of the deal.
- Mosta Under 19 Challenge Sliema W. vs Floriana 0-1, Pietà H. vs Hibernians 0-3
Thu 23
- UEFA Cup Lokomotiv Tbilisi vs Birkirkara 1-1, Sliema W. vs Matador Puchov 2-1
- Stefan Giglio was again among the scorers for CSKA Sofia. In the second leg of the UEFA Cup Qualifying Round against Shakhtar Soligorsk of Belarus, CSKA won 3-1 to qualify 5-2 on aggregate. This match was the 150th game in European competition.
Two goals by Manchev paved the way for CSKA's win while Stefan Giglio, who came in as a substitute for Vranies in the second half, scored the third goal.
- Despite the 2-0 defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Malta retained the 133rd place in the FIFA World Rankings published on Wednesday. Malta is therefore still fourteen places down from the ranking list published at the end of last year. Ahead of Malta lie Tahiti, Lesotho, St Vincent/Grenadines, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, Swaziland and Grenada. Behind Malta are Hong Kong, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Burundi and Yemen. Among European countries, Malta is still 47th. Ahead of Malta is Azerbaijan (114th), Faroe Islands (122nd) while Luxemburg (144th), Andorra (145), Liechtenstein (151st) and San Marino (159th) are behind Malta.
There were no changes at the top, with France still leading the way from Brazil, Argentina, Italy and Germany. The first major change is at position 6, with Copa America winners Columbia jumping eight places to reach their highest ranking since February 1997. The Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands complete the top ten. Malta plays against Bulgaria on the 1st September at Ta' Qali and then travels to Prague to meet the Czech Republic on the 5th.
- Mosta Tournament Mqabba vs Balzan Y. 1-1
- Fgura Tournament Zebbug R. vs Luqa SA 3-0
Wed 22
- The MFA Disciplinary Commissioner suspended Carmel Busuttil of Sliema and Brian Bonnici of Marsa for one match each. Bonnici misses the game against Marsa while Busuttil is not expected to play any longer. Sliema coach Jeff Wood was fined Lm25.
- Malta international striker Gilbert Agius is still unable to play for his new club Pisa. It seems that the Italian FA has not yet received the international clearance. Agius joined Pisa last month on a one-year loan from Valletta with Pisa retaining the option of signing him for next season. So far he could only play in friendly matches for Pisa. Today Pisa play their third game in the Coppa Italia Serie C against Montevarchi. In the first two matches, defeated Gubbio 2-1 at home and drew 1-1 with Poggibonsi.
- Assistant referee Philip Agius assisted Italian referee Domenico Messina in the Champions League third Qualifying Round between Bayer Leverkusen and Red Star Belgrade.
- Richard Buhagiar is set to return for Sliema Wanderers on Thursday as Sliema host SK Matador Puchov in the second leg of the UEFA Cup Qualifying Round.
Buhagiar missed the first leg after sustaining an injury in the Lowenbrau Cup match against Valletta. Although he was fit, last Saturday, Sliema coach Jeff Wood opted not to risk playing him in order to be fully fit for Thursday's game.
Sliema will be aiming at obtaining a positive result after the 3-0 defeat in Puchov. Matador Puchov, novices in the European football scene, managed to secure an easy win thanks to the a good performance by Marek Breska who also paved the way for the victory with the first goal. Pernis and Belak scored the other goals.
- Mosta Under 19 Challenge Floriana vs St. Patrick 4-1, Hibs vs Mosta 3-0
Tue 21
- Gammari Muscat Mosta Tournament St. Andrews vs Balzan Y. 2-1, Mosta vs St. Patrick 1-1
Malta's most established pre-season tournament organised by Mosta FC, known as the Gammari Muscat Mosta Tournament kicked off on Tuesday with the first two matches. St. Andrews defeated Balzan Youths 2-1 while Mosta and St. Patrick shared the points in a 1-1 draw. Taking part are six teams - five from Division 1 and another from Division 2. The teams are Balzan Youths, Mqabba, St. Andrews, St.
Patrick, Senglea Athletic and hosts Mosta. Other tournaments which are currently being held are those organised by Sirens and Fgura while another one, organised by Sta. Lucia kicks-off next week.
- Fgura Tournament Tarxien R. vs Zejtun 3-0
- Sirens Tournament Zurrieq vs Sirens 1-3
- The Birkirkara FC official website, www.birkirkarafc.com, announced that defender Justin Tellus will be joining English Third Division side Leyton Orient on trial this weekend.
The player will be joining the team after next Thursday's UEFA Cup Qualifying Round second leg against Lokomotiv Tbilisi.
Tellus will have his first training session on Sunday and is expected to play in a friendly match two days later. He wll be back for Birkirkara's next league match against Floriana on the 8th September.
Mon 20
- Premier League Valletta vs Floriana 2-1
- Michael Cutajar is not forming part of the Birkirkara FC squad which left Malta on Monday morning on its way to Tbilisi where next Thursday, Birkirkara play the second leg of the UEFA Cup Qualifying Round against Lokomotiv Tbilisi.
Cutajar, who was still struggling to regain his full fitness, suffered a slight injury when included as a second-half substitute in Birkirkara's 5-2 win over Pietà on Saturday.
Hubert Suda and Wiseman Jalivane Xolani, who both missed the first league, are part of the 17-man squad.
The players selected by coach Alfred Cardona are: goalkeepers Robert Savic and Reuben Debono; defenders Lino Galea, Michael Spiteri, Justin Tellus, William Camenzuli, Lucian Dronca, Kenneth Scicluna, Mark Anthony Bonnici; midfielders Antoine Zahra, Joe Brincat, Keith Fenech, Wiseman Xolani, Hubert Suda and strikers Chucks Nwoko, Michael Galea and Matthew Calascione.
A 0-0 score in the first leg means that to reach the next stage, Birkirkara need a win or a draw with a 1-1 score or larger. It is certainly difficult but not impossible for the Stripes to make it.
- Mosta Under 19 Challenge Sliema W. vs St. Patrick 5-1, Pietà H. vs Mosta 3-1
- Sirens Tournament Qormi vs Mellieha 4-1
- Fgura Tournament Luqa SA vs Fgura U. 4-2
Sun 19
- Premier League Naxxar L. vs Lija A. 4-2, Hamrun S. vs Hibernians 0-1
- A goal by Stefan Giglio on the 24th minute paved the way for an easy 5-1 win by CSKA over Spartak Varna in Day 3 of the Bulgarian Premier League. Gilio put CSKA ahead, Deyanov doubled the score while veterans Lubo Penev and Iordan Lechkov, twice, increased the lead before Spartak pulled one back. Gilgio played the whole 90 minutes.
On Thursday, the Bulgarian Football Federation awarded a 3-0 win to CSKA over Beroe Stara Zagora following an attack on the referee by the Beroe fans just before the game. They are now joint second with Lokomotiv Sofia and Lokomotiv Plovdiv with seven points each, two behind leaders Neftohimik Burgas.
On Thursday, CSKA host Shakhtyor Soligorsk of Belarus in the second leg of the UEFA Cup Qualifying Round. The Bulgarians enjoy a 2-1 lead thanks to an away win. Stefan Giglio had scored one of the goals.
- Malta's other player who is playing abroad, Michael Mifsud, played the whole 90 minutes for Kaiserslautern Amateure in the Regionalligen. Kaiserslautern lost 1-3 Darmstadt 98 and lie in the bottom of the table without any points after four games.
Sat 18
- Carmel Busuttil, considered by many as Malta's top player of all times, has decided to hang his boots and will be playing his last game for Sliema Wanderers in next Thursday's second leg from the UEFA Cup against Matador Puchov. Busuttil, affectionately known as 'Il-Buzu' retired from the international scene last April in the World Cup qualifier against Iceland at Ta' Qali. He played 112 international matches since making his debut in 1982. Besides being the player who played most for Malta, he also carries the record of being the one who scored most, 26. Carmel Busuttil started his career as a player with Rabat Ajax at the age of 15. With the Magpies, Busuttil climbed up to the Premier Division where he won all the major honours in local football including the Premier League Championship twice and the Footballer of the Year. In 1987 he moved to Italian regional side Verbania and a year later, he signed for Belgian side Genk. In Belgium, he played for six years before returning to Malta and joining Sliema. It seems that his target now is to join the youth sector of some local club to start a career as a coach.
- Premier League
Sliema W. vs Marsa 4-1, Birkirkara vs Pietà H. 5-2
Fri 17
- Massimo Beghetto, who was on a one-month loan with Sliema Wanderers from Vicenza, will be playing the first two league matches for Sliema. Sliema's first two games are against Marsa and Hibernians. Sliema's other two foreigners will be Nigerian national goalkeeper Murphy Akanji and Yugoslav stiker Danilop Doncic. Massimo Beghetto will then be replaced by 18-year old Nigerian midfielder Jude Amin Utulu. Utulu was not one of the five players playing for Sliema in the first leg of the UEFA Cup Qualifying Round against Matador Puchov but made an appearance for the Blues in the friendly match against Vicenza where he also scored the first goal. This means that 31-year old Scottish defender Derek Collins, who had also played in the Lowenbrau Cup, will be released. Meanwhile Hamrun Spartans and Sliema Wanderers finalised the transfer of midfielder Rupert Mangion.
- First Division champions Marsa presented their new players during a press-conference. The list includes several experienced players from the Premier League together with two Nigerian teenagers. The most important signings are those of goalkeeper Ivan Casha and midfielder Wayne Attard from Hamrun, Rabat defender Joe Galea and midfielder Roderick Asciak together with Xghajra defender Brian Bonnici. The other new players are Chris Borg and George Cutajar of Tarxien. Stefano Grima (Sliema) and Kurt Formosa (Floriana) were taken once again on loan for another year while Igor Stefanovic renewed his contract by another season. As regards foreigners, Bulgarian midfielder Nikola Slavtchev has been confirmed. Joining him will be Nigerian teenagers Sunday Eboh, a 17-year old midfielder, and Anthony Evi Parker, a 16-year old striker. Besides Joe Sant Fournier, Mark Marlow, Dennis Cauchi and Glenn Barry who left the club after being on loan last season, Marsa transferred Simon Aquilina (Senglea), Jason Cassar (Luqa), Tano Farrugia and Noel Fenech (Msida), Kevin Camilleri and Brian Gilford (Xghajra) and Mario Cilia (Kirkop).
- Pietà Hotspurs presented their new players for the coming season. The players are Italian Diego Palermo, Englishman Jamie Pace and Sliema's Ernest Barry and Sandro Zammit Fava. Palermo joins Pietà from Viareggio while Pace played non-league football in England before moving to New Zealand. The Hotspurs' third foreigner will be 18-year old striker Matteo Dionisi from Italian Serie B side Ternana. The signing of Ernest Barry came as a surprise to a certain extent as the former national goalkeeper was about to quit football. Meanwhile Edmond Lufi has been named as the new Pietà captain.
- Fgura Tournament Kirkop U. vs Sta. Venera L. 1-4
Thu 16
- Defender Damien Sant Fournier and midfielder Joseph Sant Fournier, who were on loan with Marsa last season, have been loaned to Naxxar Lions. Although they are both Sliema players, they already played for Naxxar in past. Damien Sant Fournier played for Naxxar in season 1997/98. The following season he played for Gozo and two years ago, he played for Hamrun. Joseph Sant Fournier played for Naxxar for two years between 1989 and 1991 and then for another season in 1999/2000. He also played for Birkirkara. Meanwhile, in a friendly match against First Division side Marsaxlokk, Naxxar Lions introduced three Nigerian players. These are Chima Dozie - who played for Sliema Wanderers last season, Chimezie Daniel Nwoke and Augustine Daddy Okoke. These players will be replacing last season's foreigners - Nigerians Benneth Njoku and Jude Madu who both return to Gozo and Nebjosa Jankovic.
- Sirens Tournament Qormi vs Sirens 4-1
- Fgura Tournament Zebbug R. vs Vittoriosa S. 2-0
Wed 15
- In its first official outing, the national team under the guide of national coach Sigi Held suffered a 2-0 defeat to Bosnia Herzegovina in a friendly match at the Zeljeznicar Stadium in Sarajevo. Bosnia scored the two goals thanks to Elvir Baljic on the 17th and 45th minutes.
Malta lined-up as follows: Mario Muscat, Daniel Theuma, Brian Said, Luke Dimech, David Carabott (Lino Galea), David Camilleri (Antoine Zahra), Joe Brincat (Ian Ciantar), Gilbert Agius (Hubert Suda), Noel Turner (Jeffrey Chetcuti), Chucks Nwoko, Michael Mifsud.
Malta will now play two matches from the World Cup qualifiers. On the 1st September, Malta hosts Bulgaria at Ta' Qali while four days later, the national team plays against the Czech Republic in Prague.
- Hamrun Spartans and Sliema Wanderers reached an agreement regarding the transfer of midfielder Rupert Mangion. Mangion joins Sliema for an undisclosed fee. However this is definitely a considerable sum of money which should help Hamrun settle the remaining debts and therefore have the ban on transfers lifted. Mangion will most probably fill the void left by Carmel Busuttil as he is expected to hang his boots after the second leg of the UEFA Cup Qualifying Round against Matador Puchov on the 23rd August. Last month, a transfer deal involving Mangion had been reached between Hamrun and Birkirkara but the Stripes then had second thoughts. Meanwhile Hamrun Spartans announced the signature of goalkeeper Simon Giordmaina, who played for Naxxar last season, and young Zurrieq striker Stephen Wellman. Wellman is the second Zurrieq player to join the club after that Bulgarian forward Nikolai Kirilov had joined Hamrun last month. On the other hand, goalkeeper Ivan Casha joins Marsa.
- Former Naxxar Lions defender, Digger Okonkwo is on a four-day trial with Tunisian side Djerba. Last Monday, he played in a friendly match which Djerba won 3-1.
The Nigerian-born Maltese international had joined Pietà Hotspurs last month after playing for three years with Naxxar Lions. It is yet unknown whether Okonkwo will be joining the Tunisian club or not. However in each case, Okonkwo should be back in Malta in time to make his Premier League debut for Pietà on Saturday against Birkirkara. The friendly match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Tue 14
- All eyes will be on the national team as Malta will be playing its first official match under the guide of national coach Sigi Held on Wednesday against Bosnia Herzegovina in Sarajevo. Held is not expected to make much changes from the the line-ups over the past months under the Josif Ilic era. The starting line-up is expected to be Mario Muscat, Daniel Theuma, Luke Dimech, David Carabott, Brian Said, David Camilleri, Gilbert Agius, Joe Brincat, Michael Mifsud, Noel Turner, Chucks Nwoko. The other players in the squad are: Saviour Darmanin, Jeffrey Chetcuti, Ian Ciantar, Lino Galea, Hubert Suda, Antoine Zahra and Malcolm Licari.
National coach Sigi Held dropped Valletta's Darren Debono and Nicky Saliba, Hamrun's Rupert Mangion and Mosta's Antoine Zahra II from the provisional 22-man squad he had named last Friday. Gilbert Agius and Michael Mifsud, who are currently playing for Pisa and Kaiserslautern respectively are part of the squad but CSKA Sofia's Stefan Giglio as the player was unable to join the squad in time.
- Malta's Under 21 national team lost 0-1 to Bosnia-Herzegovina in a friendly match in Sarajevo. It was a late goal by Nedzad Serdarevic which denied Malta a goalless draw. Reports from Sarajevo say that early in the second half Malta had a regular goal by Michael Galea disallowed by Hungarian referee Attila Abraham. Three players were sent off, one of them being Malta's Carlo Mamo, on the 70th minute.
Malta lined-up as follows: Justin Haber, Mark Anthony Bonnici, Carlo Mamo, Kenneth Scicluna, Etienne Barbara, William Camenzuli, Victor Bellia, Matthew Galea (Claude Mattocks), Anatole Debono (Andrew Cohen)(William Borg), Michael Galea, Kevin Sammut (Miguel Mifsud).
For this game, Farrugia was unable to use several players. Rennie Forace, Aaron Xuereb and Joseph Farrugia are injured, Daniel Bogdanovic could not make the trip from Hungary while Massimo Grima is out of the squad due to disciplinary measures.
- Friendly Match Floriana vs Luqa SA 5-0. Goals by Mark Galea 3, Christian Cassar and Cedric Caruana.
Mon 13
- Sirens Tournament Zurrieq vs Qormi 1-1
Sun 12
- Birkirkara defender Justin Tellus has been invited for a trial with English Third Division side Leyton Orient. Officials from the club had contacted the player a couple of months ago and they have been monitoring his progress since then. He is expected to join them in two weeks' time. He is therefore the second player to go for a trial with an English club after that Luke Dimech had a trial with English Division 2 side Bury FC. In both cases, the possession of dual-citizenship gives them better chances of earning a contract with an English club.
- Hibs defender Aaron Xuereb and Sliema midfielder Joseph Farrugia were dropped from Ray 'Zazu' Farrugia's Malta Under 21 squad due to injuries. Farrugia has now included Floriana defender Ian Azzopardi.
Sat 11
- A goal by Michael Mifsud on the 68th minute was not enough for Kaiserslautern Amateure to spare the third defeat in three games in the Regionalliga Sud division. Kaiserslautern's amateur team lost 3-2 to Eintracht Trier.
- National coach Sigi Held named a provisional 22-man squad for next Wednesday's friendly international against Bosnia-Hercegovina. Included are the five players who were called for the first time by Held for the training camp in Germany, namely Lino Galea, Ian Ciantar, Rupert Mangion, Malcolm Licari and Antoine Zahra II. Gilbert Agius and Michael Mifsud, who are currently playing for Pisa and Kaiserslautern respectively were also included in the squad but CSKA Sofia's Stefan Giglio as the player is unable to join the squad in time. The players selected by Held are: goalkeepers Saviour Darmanin and Mario Muscat; defenders David Carabott, Jeffrey Chetcuti, Ian Ciantar, Darren Debono, Luke Dimech, Lino Galea, Brian Said, Daniel Theuma; midfielders Joe Brincat, David Camilleri, Rupert Mangion, Nicky Saliba, Hubert Suda, Noel Turner, Antoine Zahra I and forwards Gilbert Agius, Malcolm Licari, Michael Mifsud, Chucks Nwoko, Antoine Zahra II.
- Under 21 national coach Ray 'Zazu' Farrugia named a 19-man squad for next Tuesday's friendly against Bosnia. Massimo Grima is out of the squad due to disciplinary measures. The players are goalkeepers Matthew Camilleri, Justin Haber, Reuben Gauci; defenders Mark Anthony Bonnici, William Camenzuli, Carlo Mamo, Kenneth Scicluna, Aaron Xuereb; midfielders Etienne Barbara, Victor Bellia, Joseph Farrugia, Matthew Galea, Claude Mattocks, Kevin Sammut and forwards William Borg, Andrew Cohen, Anatole Debono, Michael Galea and Miguel Mifsud.
- Valletta striker Pavel Mraz suffered a knee injury in Thursday's friendly match against Marsa and is expected to be ruled out of action for about a month. Another Valletta striker, Chris Oretan, is also injured. Meanwhile John Buttigieg resumed training following a long-term injury. On Friday, Valletta presented their new coach Georgi Deanov. He said that he is willing to build on the good work done by Krassimir Manolov. Deanov said that he always wished to coach Valletta while in Malta and thanked Manolov for suggesting his name to the Valletta committee as a successor. President Joe Caruana Curran said that the only two options considered by the club were those of Deanov and John Buttigieg as player-coach. Manolov said that the past three years were the best in his life after winning so much honours. He said that at Valletta, he felt part of a big family and that the Valletta supporters have a special place in his heart.
- Friendly Match Rabat Ajax vs Attard 3-1
Fri 10
- Carlsberg Tournament Floriana vs Lija A. 1-0, Hibernians vs Pietà H. 1-0
- Floriana and Malta international striker George Mallia could be ruled out for up to six weeks after sustaining an injury in the Carlsberg Tournament on Monday against Hibernians. Mallia strained his angle ligaments and will therefore miss Floriana's league matches against Valletta and Birkirkara together with the international matches against Bosnia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. Another player who is currently injured is Valletta striker Chris Oretan who suffered a knee injury.
- Sirens Tournament Mellieha vs Sirens 3-0
Thu 9
- UEFA Cup Qualifying Round Birkirkara vs Lokomotiv Tbilisi 0-0, Matador Puchov vs Sliema W. 3-0
- Despite being included as a substitute, Stefan Giglio managed to score and help CSKA Sofia register a 2-1 away win over Shakhtior Soligorsk of Belarus in the first leg of the UEFA Cup Qualifying Round. Giglio had doubled the score in the 81st minute after that Manchev put CSKA ahead.
- In a friendly match, Marsa defeated champions Valletta 2-1. Present for the game were new Valletta coach Georgi Deanov and outgoing coach Krassimir Manolov.
Wed 8
- Carlsberg Tournament Floriana vs Pietà H. 1-0, Hibernians vs Lija A. 3-3
Tue 7
- Former Vicenza midfielder Domenico Di Carlo arrived in Malta where he will be joining the Sliema squad which leaves the island on Wednesday for Slovakia where on Thursday, the Blues face SK Matador Puchov in the UEFA Cup Qualifying Round first leg. The other foreigners for Sliema will be Murphy Akanji, Massimo Beghetto, Danilo Doncic and Derek Collins.
- Bulgarian coach Georgi Deanov is the new Valletta coach. Deanov had coached the Malta Under 21 national team and Pietà for a number of years before being replaced by Marco Savia in the beginning of last season.
- Sirens Tournament Mellieha vs Zurrieq 4-1
Mon 6
- Carlsberg Tournament Lija A. vs Pietà H. 0-3, Floriana vs Hibernians 1-0
Sun 5
- In a friendly match for the 'Tazza Turizmu', Sliema Wanderers lost 3-4 to Italian Serie B side Vicenza Calcio. This game was also the farewell match for Sliema goalkeeper Ernest Barry. Sliema took the lead on the 2nd minute thanks to Amin Utulu but eight minutes later, Antonino Bernardini eqaulised. Hardly a minute passed that Carlo Mamo put Sliema 2-1 ahead. However Vicenza turned the score in their favour with goals by Stefan Schwoch (penalty) on the 19th and Vincenzo Sommese on the 31st. Joseph Farrugia levelled the score seven minutes in the second half but Julio Gonzales made it 4-3 twelve minutes from time.
Sliema: Ernest Barry (Murphy Akanji), Derek Collins, Joe Camilleri, Luke Dimech, Josef Mifsud, Carlo Mamo (Jonathan Magri Overend), Massimo Grima (Carmel Busuttil), Joseph Farrugia, Amin Utulu, Anatole Debono (Rupert Mangion), Chima Dozie (Martin Gregory).
Vicenza: Giorgio Sterchele (Saul Santarelli), Claudio Rivalta, Vincenzo Sommese (Christian Maggio), Stefan Schwoch (Julio Gonzales), Antonino Bernardini, Lamberto Zauli (Alessandro Tulli), Ivano della Morte (Alessandro Dal Canto), Michele Marcolini, Stijepan Tomas (Vincenzo Chianese), Paolo Guastalvino, Vasco Faisca (Alessandro Scrigna).
- Michael Mifsud was included as a substitute in Kaiserslautern Amateure's Regionalliga game against Bayern Munich Amateure. Mifsud entered on the 65th minute replacing Danko Boskovic. Kaiserslautern lost 1-3.
- Friendly Match Marsa vs Birkirkara 1-0. Goal by Ibrahim Tarak.
Sun 5
- Sliema Wanderers host Italian Serie B side Vicenza Calcio today in a friendly match for the 'Tazza Turizmu' at the National Stadium. New Vicenza coach, Eugenio Fascetti, ex-Torino and Bari, has the following players at his disposal: Cristian Adami, Antonino Bernardini, Vincenzo Chianese, Paolo Cristallini, Alessandro Dal Canto, Ivano della Morte,
Vasco Faisca, Julio Gonzalez, Paolo Guastalvino, Cristiano
Maggio, Michele Marcolini, Alberto Paoli, Claudio Rivalta,
Saul Santarelli, Stefan Schwoch, Alessandro Sgrigno,
Vincenzo Sommese, Giorgio Sterchele, Stijepan Tomas,
Lamberto Zauli.
Sat 4
- Lowenbrau Cup Valletta vs Sliema W. 2-5. Sliema win the Lowenbrau Cup.
- CSKA Sofia started their league commitments with a disappointing 0-0 away draw to Belasitsa Petritch. Stefan Giglio who played in the first half had a goal controversially disallowed for an alleged foul by another player on the goalkeeper. Returning for CSKA Sofia were veterans Luboslav Penev, who is also the president of the club, and Yordan Letchkov.
Fri 3
- Friendly Match Marsa vs Rabat Ajax 2-0.
Thu 2
- Lowenbrau Cup Sliema W. vs Birkirkara 2-0
- Friendly Match Floriana vs Hamrun S. 3-2 Goals by Eduardo do Nascimento 2 and Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza for Floriana, Paul Zammit and Kevin Borg for Hamrun.
Wed 1
- Gilbert Agius played his first game for Pisa in a friendly match against Cutiglianese which Pisa won 2-0. Agius replaced Balestri on the 53rd minute. According to a report by Italian newspaper 'Il Tirreno', the Maltese international was applauded for a couple of good moves.