Malta defender Luke Dimech is determined to win over the Valletta fans after rejoining the club he left in acrimonious circumstances in 2010.
Dimech could make his debut in tomorrow’s top-of-the-table clash with Hibs after Valletta completed his signing on loan from Mosta until the end of the season.
News that the Citizens had re-signed Dimech was inevitably met with a few raised eyebrows with some also questioning the wisdom of his switch to the champions in light of the opposition from a section of fans but the experienced defender is driven on by a desire to make amends.
“To tell the truth, there was interest from Valletta and Hibs,” Dimech told The Times.
“Both were prepared to sign me in January. It’s difficult to explain why I chose to rejoin Valletta but I feel I have unfinished business there.
“I want to give a reply on the pitch, especially after what happened towards the end of my first spell with Valletta. At every club I played for in my career, I left on good terms, also with the coaches.
“The only club where I didn’t have that satisfaction were Valletta and I’m willing to make amends.”
It was in April 2010 when Dimech, then an established player for Valletta under former coach Ton Caanen, was involved in a heated exchange with some dissenting fans during a Championship Pool match against Sliema Wanderers.
After taking off his shirt at half-time, Dimech was sent off for a second booking and the club subsequently suspended him until the end of the season despite the player making a public apology for his reaction.
Yet, Dimech bounced back from his Valletta setback by joining Cypriot club AEK Larnaca where he stayed for two seasons before returning to Maltese football to sign for Mosta.
“My spell in Cyprus helped me to mature,” Dimech said. “I’ve gained valuable experience both as a player and as a person.
“I’m fit and that’s another reason why I’ve made the decision to sign for Valletta. I feel I still have what it takes to challenge for honours.”
Dimech is aware that some Valletta fans were against his return to the club but the defender is unperturbed.
“It’s normal,” Dimech said. “Look at (Rafa) Benitez and the hostile reception he got from the Chelsea fans in his first few games.
“You can only answer your critics with what you do on the pitch. And I firmly believe that I’m capable of playing for a top team like Valletta.
“Between now and the end of the season, I have the opportunity to rebuild the rapport with the fans and I hope to win them over with my performances.”
Until a few weeks ago, a Valletta move for Dimech was unthinkable but with their defence looking increasingly shaky, the champions resolved to bring in reinforcements and immediately turned their sights to the experienced centre-half.
“I’m motivated by the prospect of winning the league title with Valletta,” Dimech, who last won the championship with Marsaxlokk in season 2006/07, added.
“I want to try and increase my medal collection. My foremost objective is to help Valletta recover from their disappointing run of late and strengthen the push for the title.”
With Dimech turning 36 today week, his best years in football are behind him but it’s testament to his enduring ability and resilience that he has been a mainstay in Malta’s defence since Pietro Ghedin took charge of the team.
His resurgence gains added significance when considering that Dimech had reluctantly quit international football three years ago after being frozen out by former coach John Buttigieg for several months.
“I always felt I could still contribute to the national team,” Dimech said. “What happened before belongs to the past.
“Initially, Ghedin told me that I might not be a regular but he wanted me to be part of the squad because of my experience and to help the younger players. He handed me the chance to prove my worth and I think I’ve grabbed it with both hands.
“I’m eager to maintain those standards of performance while staying focused and with my feet firmly planted to the ground.”
Qormi, Balzan aim to pull clear of red zone
Balzan and Qormi will be bidding to pull further clear of the relegation zone when they meet in today’s opening game as the BOV Premier League resumes after the Christmas break.
The two teams are coming from contrasting results in their last outings as Balzan crashed to their third consecutive defeat after a 2-0 loss to Mosta while Qormi snapped their negative run with a 4-0 rout of neighbouring rivals Ħamrun Spartans.
Qormi’s derby success moved them one point above Balzan in eighth place but their chances of forcing their way into the Championship Pool are remote as Jesmond Zerafa’s team are seven points adrift of sixth place, currently occupied by Sliema.
Zerafa has called on his players to build on their win over the Spartans and improve their consistency.
“It’s an important game against a direct rival,” Zerafa told The Times.
“Our aim is to be more consistent and maintain the improvement we have shown in recent games.
“Balzan are coming from a bad run but that makes this fixture even more difficult as they will be determined to recover. And they are capable of bouncing back because they have a good team.”
Retaining their Premier League status is Qormi’s no.1 objective this season but Zerafa has not given up hope on the team’s Championship Pool chances.
“We must try to keep up the pressure on the teams that are just above us in the standings,” Zerafa said. “If we do our job and they slip up, then we’re back in business. I know it’s tough but the issue has not been decided yet.”
Qormi have reached an agreement to sign Moises Avila Perez, who played for Birkirkara last season, but the Spanish striker won’t be available this evening as he is expected to arrive on Sunday.
Nigerian Abubakar Bello-Osagie, a target for Sliema Wanderers, is back in the frame for Qormi after serving a one-match ban.
For their part, Balzan looked to have resurrected their top-six bid after going eight matches unbeaten but three straight defeats have all but shattered the Reds’ hopes of replicating their Championship Pool feat last season.
Coach Ivan Zammit insisted that Balzan must stop conceding soft goals if they are to reverse the tide.
“The morale is low after we suffered three consecutive defeats,” Zammit said. “We’ve been punished for conceding stupid goals.
“We’ve played well in most of the games only for our efforts to be undone by a series of soft goals.
“It feels like we have to start from scratch. We need to improve our defending.”
With first-choice no.1 Matthew Camilleri still recovering from a cruciate operation, Balzan have signed a Spanish goalkeeper, Daniel Miguelez Martinez who last played for Andorra FC.
Matthew Mendy is suspended for this evening’s game but Stefan Giglio and Martin Deanov are expected to make the squad after recovering from injuries.
In the first round, Balzan beat Qormi 2-1.
In today’s second game, Sliema Wanderers will have high hopes of consolidating their top-six position as they take on bottom side Rabat Ajax.
After failing to go beyond a goalless draw against Melita, the Blues will surely not dismiss the threat posed by the Magpies, moreso after the latter gained a pre-Christmas boost after holding champions Valletta to a 1-1 draw.
Sliema coach Alfonso Greco must make do without captain Alex Muscat and goalkeeper Henry Bonello, both injured. Defender Branislav Timotic is no longer part of the Sliema squad as he has joined Tarxien on loan while forward Omar El Ghaouti has been released.
The Blues are in talks with Valletta to sign forward Ian Zammit on a short-term loan deal and have also shown an interest in Gabriel, the Citizens’ Brazilian midfielder.
As for Rabat, they will be without Spanish midfielder Manuel Fuster, suspended, while Adam Smeir, Ryan Micallef and Chris Schembri are sidelined with injuries.
Rabat lost 2-0 to Sliema in the first round.
Programme
Today (Tedesco Stadium): 6pm Balzan vs Qormi; 8.15pm Sliema vs Rabat.
Tomorrow (National Stadium): 2pm Ħamrun vs Melita; 4pm Valletta vs Hibernians.
Sunday (Hibs Stadium): 2pm Floriana vs Mosta; 4pm Birkirkara vs Tarxien.
Bov Division One
Today (Centenary Stadium): 6pm Birżebbuġa vs Mqabba; 8pm Gżira vs Żejtun.