by The Assikura Women’s Youth League retained the format of last year but will proceed with two new names in SK Lija and Mtarfa this season. Seven teams will be competing, with the former being joined by Swieqi United, Valletta, Birkirkara, Hibernians and San Gwann. The teams will feature an all-changed head-coaching line-up from last year, each of whom provided their view on the upcoming season.
Defending Champions To Open The League, Concerns On Fixture Congestions Still Unaddressed
The defending champions Swieqi United will be kicking things off tonight against newcomers SK Lija at the Centenary Stadium (20:00). Birkirkara & Hibernians will kick-off shortly after at Rabat Ajax Ground (20:30), while Wednesday’s game will feature Mtarfa against San Gwann at the Centenary Stadium (20:00).
Swieqi United will be led by Mandy Debono who is among the more familiar with the league due to her involvement as head coach in the past, as well as having been the assistant coach last year as the team clinched the double.
Probed about the changes in the squad from that which triumphed last season, Mandy Debono confirmed that Swieqi United is eyeing the transition, “The squad is mixed between players who are experienced in this category and those who will be competing in this league level for the first time. Several players will also be finding their feet within the senior squad and so they will have the responsibility to use that experience to also guide the younger players who will be making their first appearances at U19 level.”
Asked about the targets for the season in terms of defending the double, Debono kept feet on the ground and eyes on the transition, “It will not be an easy year considering these transitions and the fact that several players will once again be competing in different leagues.”
The Swieqi United coach, Mandy Debono raised the point on fixture scheduling to take a holistic viewpoint of clubs’ matches in different leagues considering the fact that several players are shared among them.
She said, “It is worth making the remark for care to be taken when fixtures are scheduled for a club that is competing in the senior and U19 league, to allow players three days of rest between matches. This is not only important to Swieqi United, but there are several teams who have players who are competing in multiple leagues.”
Such concerns have been already raised in the past to no avail. In fact, the first week of women’s football will mean that both Swieqi United’s and Hibernians’ players playing in both the Assikura Women’s Youth League and the Assikura Women’s League will have just one day between matchdays as the two clash on the opening night of the senior’s league this Thursday (Centenary Stadium, 20:15).
SK Lija & Mtarfa Eyeing Positive Starts
SK Lija will be facing Swieqi United in their opening match tonight at the Centenary Stadium (20:00), with Michael Briscoe at the helm. Having steered the team (as Lija-Sliema) in a successful return to the U16 league last season, where they finished among the top-four, Michael Briscoe weighed in on the decision to introduce the team in the U19 league this season.
He said, “This year we will be facing a new challenge with the introduction of the U19, something which we had gladly anticipated and planned for. Similar to last year, the original target was to put Lija WFC as one of the participants of the league. So basically the aim was to organise and form the U19 team, knowing we have a good group coming up from the U16.”
Eyeing the season, Briscoe continued, “Now that the first target has been reached, our goal is to perform well. We want to challenge all the participants and start to introduce the U16 players eligible to play to get a taste of the league. Similar to last year, as well as being the philosophy of the academy, the target is development of the kids. In regards to the women section, the target is even more complex. The aim is to introduce more girls to the fantastic game, and abolish statements that football is a men’s game”.
Meanwhile, Mtarfa will be competing under their own namesake this season, after having competed under the SKMM joint-venture last season. The team will be led by Christian Curmi who was involved in the coaching setup of the senior team at the end of last season.
Asked about targets, Curmi provided a pragmatic view, “Being realistic we are coming from a season which didn’t end very positively. So my target is to help my players enjoy playing football and fight for each other on the pitch. I am sure we will start playing some nice football and get positive results.”
Although Mtarfa will be losing the players linked with S.K. Victoria Wanderers (who teamed up with LIja Athletic) and Mgarr United (who will not feature in the U19 league), Curmi provided a positive view on the squad. He said, “We have new players joining but most important is that we managed to retain our key players. One has to give credit to our Team Manager Mario Formosa who didn’t stop working all summer & President Simon Spiteri who entrusted me with such a delicate age group. It would not have been possible without their help.”
He concluded, “My main focus for this season is to help this group fulfil their potential and achieve their dreams, some of them by playing for the national team, others to make their first appearance with the senior squad.”
Mtarfa kick-off their campaign against San Gwann on Wednesday at the Centenary Stadium, KO 20:00.
San Gwann Eyeing Improved Showings
On their part, San Gwann will be returning to the fold, this time under the tutelage of Denilson Borg. He took over the team at the latter part of last season, while acting as assistant coach of Julian Camilleri with the senior team.
Speaking about the transition, Denilson Borg underlined the club’s approach to ensure a smooth transition for their players across the leagues, “We believed that the U19 should be led by the assistant coach of the senior team, because in our opinion this gives the possibility of the smoothest transition to the senior league. Julian (Camilleri) and I communicate actively and work together to utilise the same system so that players are prepared for senior football.”
Denilson Borg acknowledged the importance of having already worked with several of the players prior to taking on this role, “I already know several of the players through my involvement with the women’s sector within the club. Having taken over the U19 team at the start of the season means that I had a proper pre-season with them. With the support of a physical trainer we started by getting the players up to the right fitness, following which we shifted focus to tactics.”
Questioned about the targets, Denilson Borg provided a positive view toward improvement but kept feet on the ground. He said, “The first priority is to develop these players’ understanding of the game, especially from a tactical point of view, so that they can successfully gain a place in the senior team. Everyone dreams about winning the league and it is not my intention to kill dreams, but it is important to approach things step by step. I think our first priority should be to restore the name of San Gwann, stop being the underdogs, start giving teams more trouble and gain places in the league so we improve our standing. We will take it step by step and grow as we go along.”
He concluded with a holistic view of the football pyramid in Malta, “In doing so, we can develop players who not only make a name for San Gwann, but also could find a place in the national team and make a name for Malta in the future.”
Valletta, Birkirkara and Hibernians Striving For Top Finishes
Francesco Galluzzo will be leading Valletta this season, with the team having achieved a runners-up finish in both the league and the cup last year. Asked about his coaching philosophy in view of also maintaining and improving on last year’s showings, Galluzzo replied, “Our idea is to play as a team and emphasize teamwork. Last year, the players showed great abilities and I’m lucky to have this team. The mentality will be one of our main points. We must play every game with the same mentality and intensity, and to be united.”
The coach also nodded to his assistant and U16 coach Julian Buhagiar, “I would also like to mention coach Julian Buhagiar, who will assist me with U19, because all results will come from every single member of the team, players and coaches.”
Noting that several team members were competing in both the senior and U19 league every week last season, Galluzzo was probed about transitions in the squad. The coach confirmed a mixed squad, “The team is mixed with some of the experience of the older ones in this category and the desire of the young ones to be part of the U19 squad. This will be an important step for the young players coming from the U16 squad, playing with the oldest, but it will help their growth. I’m also happy that the older ones support and help the others to understand the big step from U16 to U19.”
Despite the hurdles of transitions, Galluzzo offered a positive stance on the season, “Although the team will include new young players, the quality won’t change and we will keep fighting for high standards. I trust my all players and I’m sure they will support each other to reach the same goal.”
Meanwhile, Birkirkara will be led by Jonathan Muscat, who will also be acting as the assistant coach to Vince Galea in the senior team. Muscat was clear on targets and philosophy, “We would like to foster a positive environment that encourages players to attend training regularly and motivates them to perform. The first aim is to develop a young team, with a priority over long-term growth over immediate results. While there is no pressure to win, we aim to be competitive and finish in the top four.”
Asked about the day-to-day approach, Muscat said, “We began the preseason with both youth and senior players training together. This boosted the confidence and skillset of our younger players. This has given us positive improvements so now as a coach my focus is on maintaing this momentum, ensuring motivating is kept and to continue to develop the both individual and the team.”
Like several of his peers, Muscat’s view is also underpinned by the importance of preparing players for the transition to senior league football, “As the assistant coach of the senior team, I am closely working with the head coach, Vince (Galea) to monitor player progress. This means that promising young players will be given opportunities to train with the senior team and potentially feature in senior team matches as well.”
Finally, Hibernians will have somewhat of a different approach, in that they are led by Kathleen Saliba who will not be involved in the coaching of the senior team, but instead focusing on the U16 and the U19 teams. Having led the U16 to an unbeaten league win last year, Saliba is hoping several of these players can step up to the challenge once more.
Noting last year’s triumphs with the U16 players, Saliba was asked about the next steps in developing these players. She said, “I have been building my players with a different mentality to never stop fighting for the ball. Football is not only physical, but mental too. You must teach the young ones to adopt a strong mentality at an early stage. This is what makes me believe that women’s football can change, but it requires hard work and a lot of sacrifices. My players know that I define achievement not only by winning, but by seeing them improve and develop as professional players for their future.”
Probed about targets with the team, she said, “It’s going to be a big challenge as I have a young squad but I still believe that they have an advantage since they are playing together from last season. My target is to get within the top three.”
Lead Image: Michael Azzopardi
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