The 2012/13 BOV Premier League race gets underway this weekend and all eyes will be on champions Valletta and their bid for a third successive league title under new coach Mark Miller. Hibernians, again, and Birkirkara should give the Citizens a good run for their money as a tight race is also in store for Championship Pool places. This week, Valhmor Camilleri spoke to the coaches of the teams on their objectives for the new season.
BALZAN FC
Ivan Zammit: “Repeating the same feat of last season, when we played in the Championship Pool, will be a more difficult task this time as the others will no longer underestimate our potential. Indeed, this is a huge challenge we have on our hands.
“We will be fielding an unchanged squad from the previous season and that could be a positive for us as the players know each other well and know what to expect from each other. That way, they can adapt easier.”
Ins: A. Da Silva fwd (Brazil), M. Mendy, def (Gambia), S. Giglio mdf (Tarxien).
Out: None.
BIRKIRKARA
Paul Zammit: “At Birkirkara we’re seeking to improve on last season’s third-place finish in the Premier League. Valletta and Hibs remain the strongest sides in the league but we can have a major say in the title race if we stick together and play as a team.
“We have almost the same units that we had last year but, more importantly, the youngsters coming up can now be introduced to the first team. We believe that is the way forward for this club to strive and I’m sure we’ll be proved right for taking that road.”
Ins: Z. Muscat def (Pietà), Jhonnattan str (Brazil), Joselito str (Brazil), Moreno def (Spain).
Out: L. Grech mdf (Qormi), S. Bajada mdf (Valletta), Jorge str (Atl. Paranaense), T. Vella str (Ħamrun), O. Borg glk (Marsaxlokk), R. Pereira def.
FLORIANA
Mark Wright: “It’s still early days for me to make any predictions.
“I still need to see Floriana in a competitive match to judge our true potential. What I can say is that in the last 10 days there was improvement and the signs look very promising.
“From the little knowledge I have of the Maltese league, it seems that Valletta, Hibs and Mosta are the strongest sides. But, what I can promise really is that all my players will give their 100 per cent and more to lead the team to the highest position possible.”
Ins: T. Cilia mdf (Sliema), K. Farrugia def (Mosta), S. Waisu str (England), C. Tremarco def (England), A. Verma mdf (England).
Out: I. Woods str (Sliema), M. Micallef mdf (Mosta), P. Doffo mdf (Naxxar).
ĦAMRUN SPARTANS
Stefan Sultana: “Championship Pool football is our priority for the new season. Last year we failed to make the top six and ended up fighting for the drop till the very closing weeks of the championship.
“This time we have new foreign players, all from Bulgaria. They can lift our game by a few notches but still need time to adapt. The early indications, however, look very encouraging so hopefully we’ll start the new season on a positive note.”
Ins: A. Bergilov def (Bulgaria), A. Ivanov def (Bulgaria), A. Yoshev def (Bulgaria), L. Vitahov mdf (Bulgaria), N. Bozhov str (Bulgaria), R. Brightwell mdf, T. Scerri str (Valletta), T. Vella str (Birkirkara), A. Curmi glk (Tarxien).
Out: G. Spiteri str (Qormi), R. Mangion mdf (Marsaxlokk), L.J. Agius mdf (Żebbuġ).
HIBERNIANS
Michael Woods: “After finishing runners-up in the league last season, Hibs start this championship with only one aim in mind... the league title. Valletta start favourites and Birkirkara will also be among the contenders but Hibs should be there among the top teams.
“I’ve been at Hibs before but not as a coach so this will be a whole new experience for me. The club did well to add a couple of players to the squad this summer.
“We did well in pre-season and Europe and if we succeed to produce that same kind of form it would be difficult for the other teams to beat us.”
Ins: A. Ribeiro str (Brazil), J. Nwoba str (Nigeria).
Out: L. Edison str (Kecskemeti), M. Gauci def (Qormi).
MOSTA
Steve D’Amato: “We’ve been among the most active clubs in this transfer window and we have attracted some highly-talented players.
“However, one must be cautious when making projections considering this is an entirely new squad we have now. It’s not easy for the group to settle down in a short space of time.
“But no doubt there is great potential in this team and we all believe that a place in the Championship Pool is within our reach. After that we’ll see.”
Ins: D. Bogdanovic str (Blackpool), J. Haber glk, L. Dimech def, D. Mitev (Sliema, Bulgaria), M. Micallef def (Floriana), S. Bezzina def (Valletta), C. Campagnoli mdf (Brazil).
Out: K. Farrugia def (Floriana), G. Martin str (Fgura).
MELITA FC
Martin Gregory: “Melita are back in the top flight after several years so for sure we just want to keep our feet firmly on the ground and establish ourselves in the cham-pionship... that should be our main aim.
“We shall be playing with almost the same group of players that won us promotion last season and for many in the squad this will be their first taste of Premier League football.
“Melita FC’s amateur status makes it very difficult for the club to sign new players. But it seems that this club always thrive in difficult challenges.”
Ins: Rudi Alinho def (Portugal), Jose Luis Negrin fwd (Spain).
Out: None.
QORMI
Stephen Azzopardi: “It’s very difficult at this stage to establish a target for the entire season. This summer the squad underwent a lot of changes and we also lost some key players. Hopefully, the new signings will live up to expectations.
“For teams like Qormi with very modest aspirations, the first thing we look at is to avoid getting embroiled in the relegation tussle. If we manage to stay clear of the bottom places, we can focus on other objectives, like reaching the latter stages of the FA Trophy.”
Ins: G. Spiteri str (Ħamrun), L. Grech mdf (Birkirkara), M. Gauci def (Hibs), S. Siritto str (Argentina), V. Pisani str (Italy).
Out: J. Farrugia mdf (Luxol), V. Kouadio, Jorginho str (Kecskemeti), G. Chircop, mdf (Gudja).
RABAT AJAX
Silvio Vella: “Since I took charge of the team two years ago we always sought to keep the team competitive in all divisions we played in. Retaining our status will be difficult but we’ll do everything we can to avoid the drop.
“It’s true that our players have little Premier League experience but this is a team that has been together for a few years now and that helps, particularly when in difficult moments.”
Ins: N. Astrauskas str (Lithuania), H. Backhaus mdf (Germany), I. Carapic def (Montenegro), M. Fuster mdf (Spain), C. Brincat def (Marsaxlokk).
Out: None.
SLIEMA WANDERERS
Alfonso Greco: “Sliema’s squad is a good mix of young and experienced players. I’ve only been here a couple of weeks but the early indications have been very positive.
“We will need time to gel but I’m pleased with the attitude of the Sliema players during training. They look committed and know that competition will be tough for places. Our first target should be a place in the top six.”
Ins: B. Timotic def (Mqabba, Serbia), M. Muccardi mdf (Argentina), P. Gonzalez str (Argentina), D. Ortega mdf (Argentina), O. El Ghaouti str (Tunisia), P. Barbetti mdf (Italy), I. Woods str (Floriana), G. Zammit glk (Mosta), D. Fenech mdf (Balzan).
Out: S. Bezzina def, C. Frendo mdf (Pieta), R. Grech mdf.
TARXIEN RAINBOWS
Danilo Doncic: “We have to start strongly to avoid the Relegation Pool. It will not be easy though as it seems that all teams are stronger than last year. Unfortunately, we missed out on a number of transfer targets but I’m still satisfied with the squad I have.
“The most important thing for us is to win points in the first two rounds to put ourselves in a good position.”
Ins: Steve Bonnici def (Ħamrun), A. Attard mdf (Attard), Danilo str (Brazil), Evaldo def (Brazil).
Out: R. Mintoff def (Birżebbuġa), A. Curmi glk (Ħamrun), S. Giglio (Balzan).
VALLETTA
Mark Miller: “Our goal is straightforward... we want to extend this club’s streak of successes and win the championship for a third successive time.
“Hibs and Birkirkara should be our main challengers but we cannot underestimate the threat posed by the others, including Mosta who have added some valid players this summer. Winning is all that matters at Valletta and we also hope to be successful by playing attractive football.”
Ins: Gabriel mdf (Brazil), Leandro str (Brazil), Ricardo def (Brazil), M. Bartolo glk (Msida), S. Bajada mdf (Birkirkara).
Out: T. Scerri str (Ħamrun), Y. Camilleri def (Balzan), D. Grima mdf (Balzan).