Balzan FC have stepped up the drive to boost their youth section with the appointment of Riccardo Tumiatti as nursery technical director.
Tumiatti, who has top UEFA coaching badges and worked for several years in the youth sector at Serie A giants Milan, has signed a three-year contract and will work on a full-time basis with nursery head coach Silvan Ciscaldi and team manager Ivan Zammit.
“This is a proud moment for Balzan FC,” Anton Tagliaferro, the club’s honorary president told a news conference yesterday.
“We want to see Balzan established in the Premier League but to achieve that we need a healthy squad backed up by a youth sector that nurtures young talent.
“We want our nursery to become top in the country. Personally, I always believed that if Balzan FC were to flourish we need to provide our youths with the best structure to maximise their development.
“To this end we now have Tumiatti, an experienced coach and someone we hope will take us to the next level. I’m sure that his knowledge, along with the enthusiasm of our coaching staff, will give us a stronger base to work from.”
In March, Balzan are planning to host a friendly tournament for youth teams which will also see the participation of Italian club Prato.
Tumiatti is relishing his new job at Balzan.
“I am approaching this challenging task with great enthusiasm,” he said.
“Our long-term target should be a Balzan senior team with most of the players emerging from our own nursery. It’s also a challenging time for all of us but I’m confident that with the assistance of people like Mr Tagliaferro and the other coaches at Balzan, this objective will be carried out.”
Parliamentary Secretary for Sport Clyde Puli was present for the occasion and praised Balzan FC’s vision for the future of their young players.
“One can only laud the philosophy being adopted by this forward-looking club. They will be engaged in some serious investment at youth level, so crucial in developing a stronger sporting culture in our country,” he said.
“No doubt, Riccardo Tumiatti’s input will help Balzan FC become more professional and in a better position to assist young players in forming their career plans and aspirations.”