Decesare joins Birkirkara on a two-year deal

Champions Birkirkara have made their first signing of the close season after securing the services of Andrew Decesare.

Decesare was free to change clubs as he owned his release following the termination of his contract with Tarxien Rainbows.

Paul Zammit, the Birkirkara coach, is believed to have been at the heart of the club's bid to capture Decesare who had a very positive season with the Rainbows.

With wing-back Carlo Mamo returning to Marsaxlokk following his brief loan spell with Birkirkara, Zammit had been looking to bring in a versatile player and duly identified Decesare, 26, as a top target.

Birkirkara, who held their annual general meeting on Thursday, have long been engaged in efforts to keep the core of their title-winning squad together. After Trevor Cilia and Shaun Bajada signed new three-year deals, Angus Buhagiar and Joseph Zerafa also agreed to extend their contracts with the Stripes.

Three foreign players, a Brazilian goalkeeper, a Nigerian striker and a forward from Italy, are having a trial with Birkirkara who will be playing in the first qualifying round of the Champions League.

Serbian defender Nikola Vukanac will stay with Birkirkara as he has another year left on his contract. Sylvano Comvalius is also tied to Birkirkara for another season but the Dutch winger-cum-forward is keen to test himself in a more competitive league. Comvalius is expected to join some clubs for a trial in the next few weeks.

The future of Jorge Mora with Birkirkara is still uncertain after the Spanish goalkeeper turned down the club's offer of a new contract at the end of last season.

Although Birkirkara may still seek to revive talks with Mora, Zammit wants to assess other alternatives before making a final decision.