The Zazu School of Football was officially launched yesterday and will start today with training for the over 60 applicants (including one girl) who have registered after just one week.

Addressing a news conference at the Westin Dragonara Hotel, Ray ‘Zazu’ Farrugia, said he had been thinking about this venture for quite some time but had been encouraged to go ahead by several persons, among them Tony Meli and Jeffrey Farrugia of the Sliema Football School, even though the project does not involve in any way Sliema Wanderers.

Farrugia said there were seven shareholders from all over Malta, including Sliema, Valletta and Birkirkara and the children who had applied came from many nurseries scattered around Malta, and even some from Gozo.

Farrugia said training will be held at the University five-a-side grounds on artificial turf. “In future we will also be able to make use of the Tigne facility when it is completed and in use by Sliema Wanderers. Sessions will be held daily between 4.30pm and 6pm. If needed, these will be extended to Saturdays and Sundays,” he added.

Farrugia also said he wanted to give children attending the school the possibility of not just playing football “but also help them to form a sound character. I will be doing my best to see that the school is successful. Moreover. I am working on a plan which, in future, would include a School Academy for these children which would, in turn, incorporate around two to three hours of football training every day in its programme. This will help to ease unnecessary pressures on children with regards to their studies,” said Farrugia.

The Football School will be open for children between five and 14 years. The participants pay a fee of Lm35.40c (VAT included), but will also have cultural tours and weekend breaks included in the package.

Farrugia also announced that in August, they are planning to send two of their teams to Manchester, where they will be able to train with youngsters at the Manchester United Football School. He added: “We will accept any entrant. No one will be refused. We want to give a chance to everyone,” he said.

The staff so far, apart from Farrugia, also includes Sliema Wanderers top goalkeeper Murphy Akanji as well as Marko Glumac from Belgrade, Serbia.

Ray ‘Zazu’ Farrugia is locally well known, having played for Floriana in the seventies, before moving to Parramatta Melita Eagles in Australia. When he came back, he played in the Premier League for Naxxar Lions. Then he turned to coaching the same club and later Pieta Hotspurs as well as the Under 21 side where he enjoyed some success as well.