Filippo Andrea Scozzese and Aleksandrs Cekulajevs join Valletta F.C. Published on: 10-02-2012

Valletta continued to strengthen their foreign line up by signing Italian defender Filippo Andrea Scozzese and Latvian striker Aleksandrs Cekulajevs.

Italian Defender Andrea Scozzese joins Valletta form A.S.D. Citta Di Marino. This is the second player who joined Valletta from Citta Di Marino following the arrival of Argentine midfielder Nahuel Pulitano Jimenez. Valletta FC newly appointed general Manager Antonio Esposito is club president at A.S.D. Citta Di Marino.

23-year-old Filippo Andrea Scozzese started his career with U.S. Vibonese in season 2008-09. He then moved to Vico Equense Calcio in January 2010. In season 2010-2011 he joined Acireale Calcio, making a total of eleven appearances and scoring a goal. In season 2011-2012 he joined A.S.D. Citta’ Di Marino.

Scozzese who made a total of seven appearances signed a one-year contract with Valletta.

Aleksandrs Cekulajevs started his career with FK Riga before moving to FK Auda. He then played for FK-Nachod Destne in the Czech Republic, FK Jurmala in Latvia and FC Víkingur Ólafsvík in Iceland.

26-year-old Alexksandrs Cekulajevs scored 46 goals for Estonian top-division side JK Trans Narva last season.
Cekulajevs’s outstanding tally made him hot property during the January transfer window as top clubs in Greece and Turkey were reportedly keen to sign him.

Having been alerted to Cekulajevs by their contacts, Antonio Esposito, Valletta’s director general, and his right-hand man Mauro Di Lello moved swiftly to register their interest in the Latvian striker.

Their efforts to persuade Cekulajevs, who also played in Iceland and the Czech Republic leagues for Vikingur Olafsvik and Nachod Destne respectively, to join Valletta, have paid off as earlier this week he flew in to Malta to finalise his move to the BOV Premier League champions.

Cekulajevs, who also scored 51 goals in one season in the Latvian second division a few years back, signed a one-year contract with Valletta.

These signings will continue to strengthen the Valletta squad which already includes another eight foreign players; these are English goalkeeper Matthew Towns, Saidou Mady Panandetiguiri and Ousseni Zongo from Burkina Faso, Brazilians Denni Rocha dos Santos, William Barbosa, Nigerian striker Alfred Effiong, Argentine midfielder Nahuel Pulitano Jimenez and Slovenian striker Miha Robic.

On behalf of the club’s official website we would like to wish a warm welcome to both players within our squad.