UEFA Champions League Valletta vs Qarabag Published on: 14-07-2014
Valletta will be aiming for a positive result tomorrow evening as they take on FK Qarabağ from Azerbaijan, kick-off 18:30hrs at the National Stadium.
Valletta will be lead by new coach Gilbert Agius assisted by Darren Abdilla.
Last year during the Europa League, Valletta eliminated FC La Fiorita of San Marino but then lost to FC Minsk of Belarus in the next round.
The Citizens started their new season last month by participating in the Euro Challenge Cup; they shared the spoils in a 1-1 result during the first match against Birkirkara and won the second and final match against Sliema W. (4-2) and Hibernains (2-1).
International defender Steve Borg has left the club and joined Platinum Stars in Africa after his contract had expired at the end of the season. Strikers Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza and Samir Arab joined Balzan on loan, midfielder Dyson Falzon joined Mosta on loan. Midfielder Edmond (Mundu) Agius left the club and joined Birkirkara. Winger Denni Dos Santos has left the club and returned to Brazil due to family reasons.
Valletta have signed goalkeeper Nicky Vella from Tarxien Rainbows, Ryan Camilleri, who was on Hibernians' books, Maltese Australian winger Adrian Zahra, Portuguese mid-fielder Hugo Faria, Hamed Alkamali, from the UAE and Raphael Kooh-Sohna, from Cameroon, who played for Pieta Hotspurs in the last two seasons.
Formed in 1951, Qarabağ were founding members of Azerbaijan Premier League in 1992 and won their first league championship a season later. The club was the first non-Baku based club to have won the Azerbaijan Premier League title. Qarabağ is one of the two teams in Azerbaijan, along with Neftchi Baku which has participated in all Azerbaijan Premier League championships so far.
The players at the disposal of coach Gilbert Agius are:
Yenz CINI, Nicky VELLA, Luke DIMECH, Roderick BRIFFA, Jonathan CARUANA, Ian AZZOPARDI, Ryan FENECH, Ryan CAMILLERI, Hugo FARIA, Hamed ALKAMALI, Lateef ELFORD ALLIYU, Abdelkarim NAFTI, Ian ZAMMIT, Shaun BAJADA, Luke MONTEBELLO and Raphael KOOH-SOHNA.
Midfielder Adrian Zahra and striker Llywelyn Cremona are both ruled out with injury.
The referee for tomorrow’s match is Adrien Jaccottet from Switzerland.
