Aquilina prolongs Valletta stint by one more year

Premier League club Valletta next season will again be coached by J.J. Aquilina. Yesterday, Aquilina signed another one-year deal with the Intertoto Cup hopefuls after the one he had agreed to in summer 2004 expired this month.

Valletta finished fourth in the Premier League standings. At the beginning of the season few had given them a chance to make it to the Championship Pool let alone challenging champions Sliema Wanderers until the last two rounds of the league trek.

Valletta occupied the runners-up spot for most of the season but a late drop in form saw the team slipping to fourth behind Birkirkara and Hibs who will both play in the UEFA Cup.

With the club's annual general meeting scheduled for June 20 and 21, Valletta are already looking to settle contract agreements with some of the players who were on loan last season.

Yesterday, 33-year-old Serb defender Branko Nisevic, who played for Valletta after joining from Pietà Hotspurs in the January transfer window, agreed to extend his stay at the club for another two years.

Club secretary Anton Abela yesterday said skipper Gilbert Agius will definitely not move in the off-season. He added that negotiations will soon start to try and keep defender Kevin Cassar and midfielder Massimo Grima for longer terms, after their on-loan period from Hibs and Sliema respectively, runs out in the coming weeks.

Valletta qualified to play in the Intertoto Cup after Birkirkara's victory in the FA Trophy final against Msida on Friday.

They play the first leg at home on June 18 against a still unnamed team from Serbia and Montenegro.

Football Results

GFA promotion play-off: Xaghra United vs SK Victoria W. 1-0 (Xaghra play in Division One next season).

Youth FA U-14: Hamrun vs Pembroke 0-2; Gzira vs San Gwann 1-6; Senglea vs Ghaxaq 1-2; Dingli vs Mqabba 1-1; Gudja vs St George's 1-2.