National coach Dusan Fitzel is facing a number of problems ahead of the forthcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers against Hungary in Budapest on Saturday and against Moldova at Ta’ Qali on Wednesday.

Apart from have midfielders Gilbert Agius and Jamie Pace, the former through injury and Pace through suspension, Fitzel has several players yellow carded. This means that if they are included in Saturday’s match in Budapest and receive another yellow card, they will not be able to play the match against Moldova next week.

Fitzel considers the match against Moldova as the more important of the two games. “A positive result for us will keep us ahead of them in the Group standings and we have a match in hand. Yet I also have to take into consideration Saturday’s game, even if those yellow-carded players will be in my thoughts. It was already a big problem for me to tell those who do not form part of the 18-man squad that they had not been included. A coach, however, has to look at everything. The job of a coach, including mine, is not only that of watching the match and give instructions from the sidelines,” he said.

Asked why Etienne Barbara, the Malta Premier League’s top scorer, did not even make it to the 18, Fitzel quickly replied. “I need fighters in my squad. Barbara does not work hard.” Asked also why then Barbara was still in the 25-man squad, Fitzel said he had no other option.

Fitzel, undoubtedly the most successful national coach ever, has been working hard the past few days on finding solutions to the midfield problems, indicating that he might use one combination on Saturday and another on Wednesday, if the need arises. On Wednesday, however, Pace will again be available.

The national coach said Hungary will certainly be going all out to taste revenge for their 2-1 defeat at Ta’ Qali. He said: “They have improved considerably. They will probably have only three players from the team that lost in Malta. They have beaten world champions Italy and also won in Bosnia, but that does not mean that we will be throwing in the towel. We will be doing out best to try and get away with a positive result,” he said.

And referring to the Moldova match, Fitzel said that it will also be an important game. “We will again need support from all quarters. We wish to see the crowd giving us some tremendous backing as was the case against Turkey. They could be our 12th man on Wednesday. Because it will also be another difficult clash,” he added.

Earlier the national coach had criticised the MFA fixture list with regard to the Premier League saying that local players had been made to play five games in September. “That means that our players were acting like professionals in England, Germany and other countries, but let us not forget that our clubs are not professionals as is the case in most European countries,” he added.

Also present at yesterday’s news conference were Brian Said and Michael Mifsud who both said they will be striving to get more positive results and prestigious performances.