The friendly between local champions Birkirkara and Italian club Milan is to be played on Tuesday 9 January at the Ta’ Qali national stadium with a 7.30pm kick-off.
This was announced by Birkirkara chairman Victor Zammit during a news conference yesterday during which the programme of Milan’s visit to Malta was also announced.
Zammit said Birkirkara had already brought over to Malta famous clubs like Manchester United and Juventus. “This time, this visit was made on the initiative of our representative in the UEFA Clubs Forum, John Borg, who indulged in fruitful talks with Milan representative Umberto Gandini,” he said.
The Stripes chairman said Milan will be coming over with their best squad with the exception of the injured Serginho and Nesta. The top players will all be here and these include Costacurta, Kaka, Maldini, Inzaghi, Gilardino, Dida, Seedorf, Pirlo and Gattuso.
According to reports, Ancelotti intends to make up in Malta for what was lost in the summer as Milan could not undergo the usual pre-season training camp because of the uncertainty till the last minute of their participation in the Serie A and in the Champions league following the scandal which hit Italian football last summer.
Admission prices for the match against Birkirkara will be as follows:
VIP Enclosure (not including MFA VIP cards) Lm25; Enclosure: Lm15, Millennium Stand LM10 and behind the goalposts Lm5.
Tickets are obtainable from the following outlets: Milan Clubs in Malta and Gozo, Birkirkara FC, Birkirkara FC Supporters Club, La Stalla Pizzeria, Bugibba, Geraldu Kiosk in Valletta, Misha of Sliema and others.
Local football fans are urged to buy their tickets for the match early not to be disappointed.
Zammit said the demand from fans to attend the activities connected with the visit has already gone beyond expectations. “We have been given only a few hours when local fans will be able to meet the players. Training sessions will be held behind closed doors at the Ta’ Qali training grounds, but there could be some sessions on the sand, possibly at Ghajn Tuffieha, close to the Radisson Golden Sands Resort, which will host the Milan contingent during their stay here. The demand for a standing up reception on 4 January has been impressive, so much so that most of the tickets (around 1,000) have already been sold,” said Zammit.
The Stripes chairman also said that Milan will be leaving Malta on 6 January in the morning to play against Juventus for the Luigi Berlusconi Cup at the Siro Stadium. But they will be back the following night. Birkirkara have organised a charter flight for this occasion. Apart from the Milan contingent (between 50 and 60), a number of local fans will also be travelling on the same plane as the remaining available tickets have been snapped up,” said Zammit.
Zammit criticised the MFA for charging the club what he described as an exorbitant fee to stage the match at Ta’ Qali national Stadium. “It is even higher than the Lm5,000 we pay to play our Champions League matches. I feel that on such occasions, the MFA should help the clubs and not add to their financial burdens. After all, the clubs make a lot of sacrifices and take a lot of risks to bring over such top clubs for Maltese football enthusiasts to take a close look at their favourite stars,” he said.
Also present for the news conference was Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, Tonio Fenech, who praised the local club for their initiative. He announced that through the National Lotteries and Good Causes Fund, a considerable number of tickets will be given to local clubs’ nurseries for their children to be able to watch the match free of charge.
It was also revealed that there will be a place for around 100 disabled persons.
At the end, Zammit thanked the other sponsors – Malta Tourism Authority, Malta International Airport and Michele Peresso Ltd – for their help. The latter are providing two trophies – one for each club – and a memento to each player.
Also present for the occasion were representative of the three Milan clubs in Malta and Gozo.