The Balzan Youths FC nursery now boasts of having a female football coach in the form of the well known former national women’s team player Maria Coppola.

The 33-year-old has now cut short her playing career and is concentrating on coaching youngsters who will be tomorrow’s local footballers. At present she is taking care of the Under 7s, among whom she says there are several promising players for the future.

The Balzan nursery is expected to be enhanced when the proposed artificial turf surface pitch is approved by the authorities. When completed – probably later this year - the committee will be able to work on other projects which will certainly help the club which is fighting for promotion to the MFA’s first division this season.

Coppola needs no introduction locally. She played football abroad in the US and in France. Apart from playing for the national team, Maria also played locally for several clubs, including Rabat, Hamrun S. and Melita. It was while playing in the US (between 1996 and 2000) that she was voted Best Player in 1998 in Oklahoma.