With the League title celebrations over and following their elimination from the FA Trophy semi-finals, local champions Birkirkara FC are facing problems with their foreign players who may all be quitting the club this summer.
It is known that Nigerian defender/midfielder Precious Monye and defender Emil Yanchev of Bulgaria will not have their contracts extended. In fact, it is understood they are already seeking new pastures.
Club chairman Victor Zammit said yesterday both players had been placed on the transfer list, hinting that the club was not prepared to meet their demands.
Monye had a fantastic season at the back for the Stripes and was considered to have been one of their best players before a late season injury kept him out of action in the last few matches.
Yanchev, however, never hit the headlines, really. He started the season on a quiet note and was later injured seriously. It meant he had to miss between three and four months of the season.
Even David Simon, the goalkeeper from the Czech Republic, is unsure on whether to extend his stay at Birkirkara FC.
Simon is said to be very happy in Malta and was over the moon as he celebrated the league title with his team-mates and the fans.
Zammit confirmed to The Malta Independent that the goalie is to have talks with the directors of the club, possibly next week, in the hope that he will be offered a new deal.
However, it is also known that Birkirkara will be prepared to extend the deal for one more year, if his demands are not exaggerated.
Simon is believed to have an offer from a first division club in Cyprus (probably Achnas or Akritas) worth 50,000 euros a year. But when Birkirkara signed him near the end of last year, they reserved the right for a first option. Zammit made it clear that the club would not be prepared to match such an offer.
The club chairman said the champions had various options from where to select their new foreign players.
With regard to their local crop of players, Zammit said Birkirkara FC was now in the process of discussing new deals with players whose contracts are due to expire soon, among them Michael Galea and Matthew Calascione. He said he believed that all the others will be staying at the club as no player in Malta had expressed his desire to the MFA to leave his club by the December 2005 deadline. “In this respect I think there will be just a few players who will be moving this summer,” said Zammit.
Birkirkara, who will be playing in the UEFA Champions League for the second time in their history and will be seeded for the first time, will know their first qualifying round opponents on 23 June, when the draws will be made in Switzerland. These matches (home and away) are to be played on 12 and 19 July.
The Stripes will probably resume training in preparation for the Champions League matches, on Monday 12 June. Coach Stephen Azzopardi has already been confirmed by the club.