Birkirkara FC will be meeting strong and popular opponents such as Premiership side West Ham today in the return leg of the Europa League second qualifying round amidst great hype and great expectations. Such a big occasion for local football enthusiasts, is in itself motivation enough for the players to perform well.

This is the opinion of new Birkirkara coach Giovanni Tedesco who admitted that there is very little to say about the importance of such a match.

“Motivation is very high against such illustrious opponents” said coach Tedesco while addressing a pre match media conference yesterday afternoon at Ta’ Qali press centre.

West Ham, who earned their place in the Europa League through the Fair Play League, might be everyone’s favourites to advance to the next round but their slender lead, with James Tomkins’ late winner in London, leaves the outcome much in the balance.

“We will give it our best shot. The rest will take care of itself”, he said, as he looked positive but cautious about the mammoth task facing his team.

With a finely-poised return leg, together with the popularity of English football in Malta, some 15,000 fans are expected to turn out at Ta’ Qali National Stadium, to which the match has been moved, this evening.

While acknowledging that a bumper crowd and noisy support will be a much required impetus for Birkirkara, Tedesco is also aware that his players must remain fully concentrated against strong opponents, led by very good coach like Slaven Bilic.

Promising to take a positive approach for today’s match, Tedesco revealed that he wants to teach his players to tackle such big games in a normal manner.

“These matches should become something of the normal and we want our players to follow up their good showing against Ulisses in the previous round and against West Ham at Upton Park in the first leg”.

According to the coach, Birkirkara are still struggling to fully recover three important players for today’s match – Paul Fenech, Rowen Muscat and Fabrizio Miccoli – who all trained separately from the squad during the last days.

“The next 24 hours will be crucial for them and us” he said.

Also answering to local journalists’ questions was the prominent Italian recruit Fabrizio Miccoli who admitted that he did not expect such a warm welcome fom his team mates in such a short time he has been with Birkirkara.

Like all the rest, Miccoli is aware of the difficulty when facing such matches.

“It is important that we give everything and have no regrets afterwards” he said.

“West Ham are also aware of our potential and will not take us lightly”

Reminded by TMI that this stage of the competition has become familiar territory for Maltese clubs in Euro competions, and asked to identify, through his past experience when playing in such competitions, what is lacking in Birkirkara FC and the other Maltese teams to enable them advance further, Miccoli looked optimistic, although failing to come up with a solution.

“Maltese football is improving. The foreign players and coaches who are coming over are of good quaity and there seems to be an upper trend about the local game” he said.

“Birkirkara were lucky in a way that they drew a popular side such as West Ham in a tie that augures financially good. On the other hand we could have met less popular opponents, but witha greater chance to advance to the next round”.

It seems that there are always two sides of the coin – it hugely depends from which side you look at it!

Bilic confident West Ham will qualify to next round

Later in the evening, prior to their training session at Ta’ Qali, West Ham coach Slaven Bilic, accompanied by defender Winston Reid, also gave a press conference ahead of the clash with Birkirkara.

Although admitting that the side is still not at its very best, due to some players joining late, the West Ham coach looked optimistic that his side will qualify over the two legs.

“West Ham are better of course, but should have scored more than one goal, which they deserved, in the first leg, to ease the pressure” he said.

However, he has respect for the Maltese opponents and he brought over 80 per cent of his side’s potential.

According to Bilic, the team trained very good yesterday and they are looking forward for today’s match.

“We will try to score a goal here” he said, while admitting that the heat will be a problem.

“You cannot get used to it easily. But it’s summer and you have to accept that. But we have enough experience”.

Keeping  70 per cent possession and dictating the pace, will save them from running.

Bilic said it is still to early to say whether taking part in the Europa League will hinder his side’s input in the Premiership this season but assured everyone that West Ham will try to progress as far as they can in both competitions.