Malta futsal champions Balzan have stepped up preparations ahead of their participation in the UEFA Futsal Cup this week.

For the two-time Malta champions this will be their third participation in the European tournament.

They were handed a tough draw when they were pitted against Croatian champions MNK Alumnus, who are hosting the mini-tournament, and Denmark’s Copenhagen Futsal.

Balzan will open their commitments on Wednesday against MNK Alumnus and then face Copenhagen the following day.

Team manager Nathaniel Jones said in a statement that the club had strengthened their squad considerably this summer as they looked to present themselves with a competitive team that can hold its own at the tournament in Croatia.

“Club president Mario Vella and coach Gabriel Dobre have worked hard in the last few weeks to bring in a number of quality signings specifically for the UEFA Futsal Cup,” Jones said.

“We succeeded in bringing in the new players at an early stage. That way, they had ample time to settle down in our club and gel with the other members of the team.

“We had 18 players available for the coach in the pre-season training. However, only 14 will make the trip to Croatia.”

Balzan have signed two former Romanian internationals – Tony Luliu Safar and Adrian Panzaru – and Eslam Khalifa who has rejoined the Malta champions after a three-year absence.

Balzan have also added Mark Zammit and Matthew Attard, both on the books of Hibernians last season, along with Carl Azzopardi, formerly of Pembroke Athleta.

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