Ready for take-off...

After all the hullabaloo surrounding the clubs' forays into the transfer market, it's all about getting down to the real business this weekend.

Valletta and Hamrun Spartans herald the start of the 2003-2004 MIA Premier League when they clash in the opening match this evening at 7.30.

Having secured a sponsorship for the elite league which has now associated itself with the Malta International Airport, the Malta FA as well as local football enthusiasts will be hoping that this season marks an upturn in the fortunes of local football.

There will be fewer league matches on the traditional days of Saturday and Sunday as the Malta FA opted to hold more games on Fridays and Mondays in a bold attempt at luring more fans to our stadia.

The effect of this move is yet to be gauged but the success, or otherwise, of the league ultimately depends on the fare provided by the 10 participating teams. Competitive and fiercely-contested matches are the key to reviving the ailing interest in our national game. Let's hope the Premier League thunders into life this weekend to set the tone for the remainder of the campaign.

Opening programme (National Stadium): Today - 7.30 p.m. Valletta vs Hamrun S. Tomorrow - 5 p.m. Marsaxlokk vs Sliema W.; 7 p.m. Pietà H. vs Birkirkara. Sunday - 5 p.m. Balzan Y. vs Floriana; 7 p.m. Msida vs Hibs.

Birkirkara

Birkirkara's strategy in the last few seasons was aimed at laying the foundations of a successful team, or so their officials would have us believe.

True, their policy of capturing established young players may be taken as testimony to their goal of building for the future but their infectious enthusiasm in key matches suggested that success is still the most important word in their vocabulary.

Their runner-up spot in the 2002-2003 Premier League standings combined with their extraordinary finish to the season which landed them their second successive cup double, show that Birkirkara are the best-equipped team to challenge Sliema Wanderers.

Haruna Doda, a Nigerian international, has been engaged to bolster their attacking punch as coach Stephen Azzopardi sought to strengthen those areas that most needed reinforcements.

Luke Dimech did well for them in the final part of last season and the Stripes dearly wanted to hold on to his services but the Malta international opted to bide his time in England where he joined Mansfied on a short-term contract.

The signing of Adrian Ciantar went a long way towards underlining Birkirkara's ambitions of winning the Premier League title for the second time in their history.

Ciantar's arrival and the return to fitness of defensive players Sunday Eboh and Kenneth Scicluna should boost their chances in no inconsiderable way.

In Ciantar, Birkirkara have one of the best left-footed midfielders in the Premier League. His intelligent movement and perfectly-weighted passes should ensure that the team's sprightly forwards do not run out of ammunition.

The sooner Eboh and Scicluna return to full fitness, the better for Birkirkara as it is in defence where the team has betrayed signs of uneasiness.

Birkirkara's high-scoring victories in the Lowenbrau Cup, beating Hibernians 5-4 and Valletta 5-1, will not have escaped the notice of their main rivals in the Premier League. With the likes of Michael Galea, Matthew Calascione, Roderick Briffa and George Mallia in their ranks, Birkirkara boast one of the most athletic and deadliest attacks in Malta.

Their athleticism and propensity to switch positions throughout a match, an approach bearing the hallmark of Stephen Azzopardi, is sure to give most of the Premier League defences a hard time.

Justin Haber, the Malta U-21 goalkeeper, alternated fine performances with less convincing ones last season but any assessment of the fluctuating form of the Birkirkara goalkeeper, must account for the age factor.

Haber is still young and needs time to reach his peak. Being the number one goalkeeper of one of the most prominent clubs in Malta is surely tough for anyone, never mind a 22-year-old who has just had the first taste of success in his career.

With Simon Agius now reported to be on his way to Birkirkara, competition for the goalkeeping position will surely intensify and that should accelerate Haber's maturity process.

The days when chairman Victor Zammit flexed his financial muscle to lure the most experienced players to Birkirkara may be behind them but the Stripes' shrewd investment in young talent has given them a blend of dynamism and experience which makes them one of the most complete teams in the Premier League.

Prediction: Genuine title contenders, Birkirkara will pose the biggest threat to Sliema Wanderers. A higher level of consistency and more positive vibes from the fans and club officials when the chips are down, could see the Stripes winning their second title after a lapse of four years.

Sliema Wanderers

Not content with walking away with the Premier League crown last season, Sliema Wanderers have again served notice of their ambition to dominate local football by snapping up some of the most coveted players in the transfer market.

True to their reputation as the wealthiest club in Malta, the Wanderers grabbed the headlines in the hot summer months when trumpeting the signings of Daniel Bogdanovic and Stefan Giglio.

News that Bogdanovic and Giglio, both Malta internationals, were planning a return to Malta after things turned awry in Bulgaria, alerted several local clubs but there was always going to be one winner when Robert Arrigo entered the chase for their signature, if ever there were one.

Jamie Pace also jumped on the Wanderers' bandwagon after a fine season with Pietà Hotspurs earned him the tag as one of the most enterprising players.

Lee Lombardi, also formerly of Pietà, signed a one-year contract with Sliema but a cruciate knee injury in the 6-0 defeat to FC Copenhagen in the second qualifying round of the Champions League put paid to his chances of making an impact with the Blues.

Lombardi's long-term injury came on the day Sliema's defensive flaws were fully exposed by the strong Danes, who cruised to a 10-1 aggregate victory.

Sliema will look back on their participation in the Champions League with satisfaction after they moved into the second qualifying round at the expense of seasoned European campaigners FC Skonto, but the manner of their capitulation to FC Copenhagen should have served as an eye-opener before the start of the league.

Their all-round defending was abysmal and, in the absence of centre-half Ian Ciantar who is still recuperating from a knee operation, Edward Aquilina does not have adequate cover for certain back positions.

The unconvincing performances of their Nigerian goalkeeper Murphy Akanji in the European competition will also have given Sliema Wanderers some cause of concern before the start of the domestic campaign.

Alex Camilleri of St Patrick has been signed by Sliema to provide cover and competition for Akanji and this can only be good for the Blues.

By local standards, Sliema have a star-studded team, resplendent with established players but Aquilina must be on the watch-out for any signs of arrogance and over-confidence among his squad.

If Sliema are to repeat their title success of last season and launch a better challenge for the other honours which eluded them, they have to remain sharp, focused and above all, committed throughout the campaign.

Aquilina also needs to put his man-management skills to good use as the abundance of players in attacking positions means that some established members of the squad are not guaranteed a regular place in the team.

Sliema's heavy defeat to FC Copenhagen was hard to take but, as the old saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. That defeat should have brought Sliema back to earth after the euphoria of their summer signings and their progress beyond the first qualifying round of the Champions League, had created an air of overconfidence.

Prediction: Favourites to retain the Premier League title but they must guard against complacency. Unity among their players is a key factor.

Hamrun Spartans

The 2002-2003 league campaign was anything but plainsailing for Hamrun Spartans, both on and off the field of play. Their financial woes saw the Spartans in constant administrative turmoil throughout most of the season.

Internal bickering produced a spate of resignations with the result that the club had three different presidents during the course of the season. Inevitably, the air of uncertainty left its mark on the team.

Coach Atanas Marinov was handed the arduous task of saving the club's top status without having the possibility of bolstering his young squad.

However, his tactical shrewdness and the enthusiasm of his young players saw the Spartans fighting admirably, ensuring their place in the top flight with a 1-0 win over rivals Marsa on the last day.

In the close season, the newly elected committee worked hard to bring back some much-needed stability to the club. They failed to convince Marinov to prolong his stay. His place was taken by Patrick Curmi, a former first-team and nursery coach at the club.

The Spartans managed to convince their budding youngsters to pledge their future to the club, thus providing Curmi with almost the same squad as last season. The only player to leave the Spartans to date has been Charlò Magro who opted to join Marsaxlokk.

Curmi has a tough task ahead if he is to keep the club in the top echelon. However, the invaluable experience their talented youngsters such as Mauro Brincat, Roderick Bajada and Kevin Borg, gained last season, should boost their hopes.

Much of the team's goalscoring burden will rest on the shoulders of veteran striker Stefan Sultana, who has already notched a record 176 goals in the top flight.

Like Sultana, goalkeeper Ivan Casha, Graham Bencini and Jonathan Magri Overend have been playing in the top flight for several years and their expertise is an asset for the team, especially the younger members of the Spartans' squad.

Prediction: Attaining a place in the top pool seems a difficult target to reach for the Spartans but they have enough quality in their squad to stave off relegation.

Valletta

As the dominant force of Maltese football for much of the nineties, Valletta had this aura of invincibility about them. Two seasons without a major trophy have eroded their confidence as the Citizens huffed and puffed to fulfil their lofty aspirations.

The ramifications of their outlay on high players' wages and bonuses also caught up with them, forcing their committee to embark on a cost-cutting drive to ensure the long-term future of the club.

This cautious financial strategy deterred them from foraging into the transfer market to bring the reinforcements they needed, not least because of the ban imposed on them by the Malta FA.

Proof of Valletta's determination to adhere to their wage structure was mirrored in their refusal to meet the new pay demands set by Nigerian striker Chris Oretan.

Losing their main striker was not on Valletta's plans but they were deadset on spending within their budget and Oretan was not signed up for another term. Malta skipper David Carabott was another player who opted to take the new challenge offered to him by Marsaxlokk.

So Valletta's summer did not quite yield the reinforcements their fans craved but the arrival of Atanas Marinov as their new coach should have helped to enhance their optimism.

Coveted by Joe Caruana Curran, their long-serving president who has since quit his post and replaced by Charles Camilleri, Marinov was recruited by Valletta and given the onus of rebuilding their squad.

Marinov inherits a squad boasting some of the most established players in Maltese football but lacking cover in certain positions.

Although Valletta have failed to scale the heights expected of them in the last two years, they have certainly not relinquished their status as one of the juggernauts of Maltese football, what with their tradition and having players like Gilbert Agius and Ivan Zammit in their ranks.

The club have opted to retain a host of players who were loaned out to other clubs last season when their playing resources were richer than today.

The indications from their pre-season matches are that players like Sharlon Pace, who spent last season on loan at Pietà Hotspurs, and Jeremy Agius, the fleet-footed striker who helped Msida St Joseph gain promotion to the top flight, should figure more prominently in Marinov's plans.

Two new Bulgarian players, defender Todor Simeonov and striker Ivan Tonchev, have also been signed to bolster two areas where the team was lacking strength.

Kurt Farrugia, the Malta U-21 defender, also joined the Citizens in a straight swap deal with Edward Azzopardi who moved to Pietà.

A rare tonic for the Citizens in an otherwise uneventful close season came in the shape of Bulgarian Milen Penchev who extended his contract with the club despite strong interest from other clubs.

With the likes of Penchev, Gilbert Agius, Zammit, Darren Debono and Daniel Theuma, Valletta have a team to match their rivals.

Marinov's knack to nurture young talent is a big plus for the club but they may have to wait a couple of years before they can return to the pinnacle of local football.

Prediction: Ignore Valletta FC at your peril. A top-three finish is within their reach.

Marsaxlokk

Marsaxlokk were one of the surprise teams of last season. Having just earned a place in the Premier League flight after a long absence, few gave the southseasiders a chance of dodging the drop.

After a rather disappointing start to the league campaign, Marsaxlokk, then under the charge of J.J. Aquilina, found their feet to produce a series of fine performances which gave them a berth in the top six after the first phase.

Buoyed by their creditable sixth-place finish, Marsaxlokk, led by their ambitious president Victor Sciriha, redoubled their efforts to bolster their squad even further. The club's aim for this year's campaign is to challenge for a place in the European club competitions.

Despite his good performance in leading the team to a good placing, Aquilina was not retained as coach. He was succeeded by Robert Kelly.

Top-quality signings in the shape of David Camilleri, who joined them on loan from champions Sliema, Malta skipper David Carabott and Hamrun defender Charlò Magro, were added to the squad.

Up front, Marsaxlokk are also better stocked than last year after they prised Malcolm Licari away from Pietà. Lateral defender Kevin Mamo also joined them from Pietà while other established players like Richard Buhagiar, Justin Tellus and Etienne Barbara stayed put.

Their foreign legion also changed as Nigerians Uwa Ogbodo and Benneth Njoku were released to make way for Bulgarian defender Nikolai Slavtchev. Nigerian midfielder Minabo Asechemie, who like Slavtchev played for Marsa last season, is also reportedly heading for Marsaxlokk.

With so many new faces in the squad, Kelly's side could take some time to gel but they should prove a hard nut to crack.

Prediction: High ambitions of a Euro spot but the new players may need time to blend. Have enough potential to secure a top-five finish.

Hibs

While most clubs were busily chasing their transfer targets in the hot summer months, Hibernians went in hibernation.

Not that their approach will have surprised many as Hibs were the first Maltese club to adopt a spend-according-to-your-budget approach.

A more indepth analysis of the club's summer activities reveals some minor yet potentially significant changes.

Renewing the contracts of their 'free' players will have ranked high on their summer agenda. Not all of these players stayed put as Branko Nisevic and Adrian Ciantar were allowed to switch allegiances.

Nisevic was first to go, signing for Pietà Hotspurs after Hibs decided against putting their long-term investment in young Nigerian striker Udochukwu Nwoko to waste. Had Nwoko not been promoted to the senior squad, he would have been entitled to leave Hibs as a free player.

However, it was Hibs' decision to part ways with Ciantar that came across as a surprise. Some suggested that Ciantar's transfer to rivals Birkirkara was financially-motivated but his departure may also have something to do with the emergence of Andrè Schembri.

With Ciantar out of the squad due to his contractual complications with Hibernians, Schembri grabbed his chance to impress with both hands in the team's commitments in the pre-season Lowenbrau Cup.

Robert Gatt's team selections for the Lowenbrau Cup hinted that Hibs are ready to trust their rich youth talent by giving the likes of Schembri, Nwoko and Terence Scerri, the chance to show their potential alongside other seasoned footballers like goalkeeper Mario Muscat, Ndubisi Chukunyere, Essien Mbong, Cesar Paiber and Adrian Mifsud.

Other players like defenders Aaron Xuereb, Adrian Pulis, Miguel Mifsud and Peter Pullicino are still to strike their peak form but they already have some years of experience under their belts.

Having won the title in season 2001-2002, Hibs failed to live up to their billing as their consistency problems returned to dog their progress.

Moreover, the general view was that the Paolites were still feeding on the unexpected glory of the previous year. A new season brings fresh hopes and Hibs will be determined to make up for last year's disappointment.

Prediction: Much depends on the form of their established players. If these rediscover their hunger to succeed and shake off the complacency that plagued their game last season, Hibernians will be among the front runners in the race for the title.

Pietà Hotspurs

Pietà Hotspurs ensured their fair share of the limelight last season by ruffling a few of the big birds' feathers. Their fifth-place finish attests to their positive campaign, piloted by former Malta U-21 mentor Ray 'Zazu' Farrugia.

A berth in the Championship Pool to secure their permanence in the top flight as early as February, must qualify as Pietà's principal goal at the start of a new season. Having a dynamic and determined coach like Farrugia at the helm, Pietà will also harbour hopes of building on their creditable fifth spot last season.

Detractors will point at the notable departures of Jamie Pace (Sliema) and Malcolm Licari (Marsaxlokk) as undermining the Hotspurs' chances of reproducing last season's sprightly performances.

Without detracting from the merits of Licari and Pace, Pietà's forte last season was their grinta and teamwork, synonymous with sides coached by Farrugia.

All in all, it has been a summer of goings and comings for Pietà as the departure of Pace, Licari and Kevin Mamo has been compensated by the arrival of a host of new players. Oman Francis, a Cameroon striker, was snapped up to fill the void left by Licari, Branko Nisevic, the experienced Hibs defender, was signed to bolster an already strong defence, Edward Azzopardi came from Valletta and William Borg was plucked from Rabat Ajax. Chris Okoh returned from a loan spell with champions Sliema Wanderers.

Widespread rumours about Pietà's financial troubles have also been allayed as the club held on to the services of the likes of goalkeeper Saviour Darmanin, Ivan Woods, Gareth Sciberras, Pierre Aquilina. Anatole Debono and their highly-rated Italian defender Mauro Di Lello.

Cleaven Frendo was also embraced back into the fold after a loan stint with Lija Athletic and the early indications are that this promising midfielder who, not so long ago, was turning out for the youth teams of Italian club Torino, will be given the chance to show that he is ready to step up to the heavyweight division.

Pietà look to have a balanced team to hold their own in the top flight but they still lack the resources to challenge the traditional order of Maltese football. Last season, they found the going tough when injuries and suspensions began to bite and that may also be the case this season.

Nevertheless, their string of fine results against the big guns should have whetted their appetite to do more of the same this season. They will certainly be relishing the challenge to prove their critics wrong. After all, Farrugia is not the type to shirk from a challenge and his positive outlook is bound to rub off on his prodigies.

Prediction: Pietà's bid to secure a top-six berth will not be a straightforward affair but they have what it takes to do it. In the process, they will cause a few upsets...

Floriana

Season 2002-2003 was a dismal campaign by Floriana's standards. Financial instability coupled with some administrative problems hampered their campaign.

A transfer prohibition imposed on the club impeded the Greens from strengthening the squad who had lost some valuable first-team players. This left coach Ziya Yildiz with a young side that only succeeded in salvaging their Premier League status with victories over Mosta and Marsa in their final two fixtures of the campaign.

Since then, the committee has been working overtime to put the club back on its feet in their attempt to return among the game's elite. Georgian striker Grigol Gvazava and Bulgarian midfielder Bojko Simeonov were released after failing to impress. Brazilian striker Edoardo Do Nascimento was re-engaged by the club and a host of players who were on loan with other clubs returned. Yildiz was confirmed for another campaign.

The team clearly needs to add more experience and the acquisition of Jesmond Delia, from Pietà Hotspurs, was the first step towards achieving that goal. Jonathan Holland and Claude Mattocks will again be expected to spearhead Floriana's charge.

The reported signing of Tunisian-born midfielder Ridha Dardouri should also boost the Greens as the former Marsa midfielder-cum-striker has been plying his trade in the Premier League for several years.

The loss of promising striker Christian Cassar to a cruciate knee injury is a big loss for the club and much of the goalscoring responsibilities will be handed to Malta U-21 forward Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza and Bizu.

A place in the Championship Pool is Floriana's main target but, given the fierce competition expected from teams like Pietà and Marsaxlokk, it would be no surprise if they find themselves in the Relegation Pool for a second consecutive campaign.

Prediction: Floriana have signed some valid reinforcements but they are likely to find it hard to secure a place in the Championship Pool.

Msida St Joseph

Msida St Joseph have made giant strides forward in the past few years, climbing the ladder of Maltese football as they gained promotions from division three football up to the top flight in four seasons.

Led by the prolific goalscoring of their Nigerian forward Daniel Nwoke, top-scorer in Division One with 20 goals, Msida won the championship to secure Premier League football for the first time in over 20 years.

Inevitably, their promotion to the top flight has been greeted with great enthusiasm at the club and in the close season, the committee strove to strengthen the squad in order to bolster their hopes of evading a quick return to Division One.

They confirmed most of the squad that fared so well on their way to promotion last season. The only players to leave Msida were Jeremy Agius who returned to Valletta while Jesmond Delia and Julian Briffa moved to Floriana.

Msida have bolstered the squad in all departments.

They acquired the services of goalkeeper Mark Debono from Rabat Ajax, defenders Gordon Ohae-gbu and Josef Mifsud, who were on the books of Sliema, and Italian libero Manuel Doni, 22, who joined from Italian Interregionale side Ferentino.

The Saints have also signed two promising midfielders on loan, Victor Bellia and Josef Farrugia. Bellia spent last season on loan with Hibernians while Farrugia played for Marsaxlokk.

Former Marsa striker Malcolm Tirchett and 18-year-old Nigerian striker Aganun Oluschoal, who played with the Primavera side of Italian Serie B club Reggiana up to two seasons ago, were also signed to strengthen their attack.

Coach Joe Grech, who was confirmed from last season, seems to have a good side that can give a good run for their money to all the top sides but it remains to be seen whether they can produce a consistent good run that can steer them to Premier League salvation.

Prediction: Likely to find the going tough in their first season of Premier League football after 20 years. Their prospects of evading the drop depend on their results against the other relegation contenders.

Balzan Youths

Balzan Youths must be brimming with enthusiasm as they are about to start their first ever campaign in Malta's top flight since the club's inception in 1937.

After last season's historic promotion to the Premier League, the Reds will be looking forward to lock horns with Malta's top outfits.

Life in the Premiership will be tough for Balzan but their committee have been working hard during the close season to strengthen their squad.

Their first significant move was to appoint their former coach Jimmy Briffa as their new mentor.

Briffa replaced Kim Wright and Alfred Cardona who led the club in their promotion-winning campaign.

Balzan are pinning their hopes on a crop of young, up-coming players after signing no fewer than six U-21 players from Sliema Wanderers.

Michael Valenzia, Shaun Tellus, Nicholas Gatt, Stefan Zahra, Michael Gatt and Andre Formosa were all given the go-ahead by the Wanderers to join the Reds on loan for one season.

They also signed promising midfielder Gilbert Scerri from

St Patrick, Simon Muscat from Naxxar and former Senglea striker Anthony Gera.

Balzan have also sought to supplement their squad with some experienced players, like Bulgarian goalkeeper Stoyan Simeonov, formerly of Rabat Ajax, and veteran Czech midfielder Jaroslav Marx, who last played for Birkirkara.

Australian midfielder Tom Maric completes their foreign line-up after he left a good impression on Briffa during a trial.

Playing in the top flight is a different kettle of fish from first division football and the difference in quality between the two divisions could turn to be decisive for Balzan's hopes of beating the drop.

Prediction: Balzan have worked hard to bolster their hopes of staying in the Premier League but they lack the necessary strength-in-depth to remain competitive throughout the whole season. The next nine months will be a hard toil against relegation.