Italy’s Serie A giants Juventus are set to make thousands of local football aficionados happy as the team is set to hold a training camp and play Valletta FC in a showcase friendly next January.
After last year’s visit by AC Milan, Juventus will be holding a training camp in Malta between 5 and 12 January before leaving Malta to face Catania in a Serie A match on the 13 January. In the time spent here, Juventus will be playing a friendly match at the Ta’ Qali national stadium against Valletta.
Juventus will arrive in Malta with its full squad, including Alex Del Piero, David Trezeguet, Giorgio Chiellini, Mauro Camoranesi, Pavel Nedved, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Gianluigi Buffon who will be on the island for the second time in a few months.
Manager Gianpiero Pessotto will be in Malta in the coming weekend for preparations ahead of the January visit.
The impresarios behind the Juventus spectacular are Renaissance promotions, whose director Anton Tabone was tight-lipped about the news. “At the moment I can’t say anything. I will speak at the right time when we hold a press conference.”
Alternative bids by other promoters were refused by the Italian club, which finally settled for Renaissance.
But Michael Sciriha, president of the Maltese Juventus fan club “Vero Amore”. was more forthcoming. Enjoying close ties with the likes of John El Kann, Jean Claude Blanc and Cobolli Gigli, Sciriha confirmed with MaltaToday that the contract between Rennaissance and Juventus FC has already been signed.
“Juventus club Malta will help all the way in this event. My other 14 colleagues in the committee will do everything possible to see our members happy and close to their idols. I am already dealing with Juventus FC and doing my best to see the players in our club at Birkirkara. It will be an occasion to increase the support towards the number one club in Italy from our country. This visit will continue building our perfect relationship towards the club.”
Sciriha said his club’s members “have the right to be the closest persons” in Malta to the players. He said the club will be opening every evening until January for the renewal of memberships.
Valletta will face the Italian legends 20 years after their UEFA Cup tie under Joe Caruana Curran’s presidency. MaltaToday spoke to the current Valletta president Victor Sciriha, brother to the Vero Amore president.
“To play against a great club with such world class players is an honour for everyone. The club and players can consider themselves lucky. I can even tell some other players from other teams to join our squad just for the occasion.”
Sources told MaltaToday it was no mean feat to finalise the showcase match, due to the unconfirmed presence of another Italian club at the Ta’ Qali training grounds during Juventus’ sojourn.