Birkirkara coach Paul Zammit made it clear yesterday that he wants to make two new signings during this month’s transfer window.
Addressing the press yesterday afternoon, he said he had the backing of the club’s administration on this issue even if no decision has yet been taken.
Zammit said that these two new players could be foreigners or one foreigner and another Maltese. But he added that he could not divulge more details at present, though he expected agreement on terms with the two players to be reached by the next two weeks.
He said, however, that one of those earmarked was a striker (not Sylvano Comvalius), while the other was a utility player, giving the overall impression that the Stripes are already in advanced negotiations with the players concerned.
Zammit went on to say that he wanted to keep his squad in a challenging position, especially when the second phase starts. “Our prime target at present is to make sure of our place in the Top Six as early as possible. Then we will do our best to keep as close as possible with the leaders to start the second phase as title challengers.
“We have passed through a dramatic season so far. Until now I could never field my best formation due to the several injuries and suspensions which have hit us since the Super Cup match. Yet we have managed to maintain a top position and introduce several youngsters from our own nursery,” he added.
The Stripes coach said: “We have an exceptional squad. The players have been working hard to maintain their challenging position despite the several obstacles we have faced since the start of the season. But they certainly deserve to be there. Apart from the signings I mentioned already, I can consider the return of injured players Andrew Decesare, Nikola Vukanac and Trevor Cilia as three other major signings, having been ruled out of action for a long time.
“What I can tell you is that they will soon be in the squad once again, but Trevor Cilia needs at least another two more weeks to complete his rehabilitation.
Zammit said that in the 18 months he has been at the club, they had reached most of the targets. “We are now working on a semi-professional basis, but we will keep looking forward. Our main objective, in my opinion, should be better training facilities. It is imperative that teams like Birkirkara, and even Valletta, should have their own facilities for training purposes in this day and age.
“We have built a squad with some core players as well as youngsters who are certainly very promising. In fact, we believe that the future of the clubs is assured when one takes a look at the abundance of talent in the Under 15, Under 17 and Under 19 squads.”
At the end, club president Carm Galea confirmed that the contract of Brazilian goalkeeper Ezequiel Lovizon had been cancelled in an amicable way. The goalie had been injured after just four minutes of the Premier League’s first match against Sliema Wanderers and never returned to the squad.