Malta defending goal against Switzerland at the National Pool.

Malta will again be represented in the European Cup under the name of Club Valletta in the forthcoming edition of the annual LEN competition for club sides.

Playing in Group B Round 2, the Maltese will be hosting continental teams of top quality who can boast of class players from Croatia, Montenegro, France and Romania.

The tournament matches will start today with the visiting participants being Montpellier (France), Mornar Brodospas Split (Croatia), Primorac Kotor (Montenegro) and Steaua Bucharest (Romania).

Coach Karl Izzo will certainly have to bank on his established units revolving, as he said, “around kingpin Niki Lanzon and established players Matthew Zammit, Clint Mercieca and Alan Borg Cole.”

“In the absence of the unavailable players, like Mark Meli, Jordan Camilleri, Michele Stellini, Jerome Gabarretta, John Brownrigg, Timmy Sullivan and Dino Camilleri, besides Steve Camilleri, I will be relying on most of the younger units who made their debut in the Malta Cup last week,” the Malta coach told Times of Malta.

That five-day tournament was a useful experience for his squad and as a result Izzo will certainly have wider tactical options and more possibilities for substitutions, given the strenuous programme of condensed matches played over four days.

“Like this time last year, the team will face opposition of the highest class and the players will have to be at their very best to obtain creditable results,” the Malta coach said.

Programme

Playing today: 17.30 Mornar vs S. Bucharest; 18.45 Club Valletta vs Primorac.

Tomorrow: 10.30 Montpellier vs Mornar; 11.45 S. Bucharest vs Primorac; 17.30 Montpellier vs Club Valletta; 18.45 Mornar vs Primorac.

Saturday: 17.30 Club Valletta vs Mornar; 18.45 Steaua Bucharest vs Montpellier.

Sunday: 9.15 Primorac vs Montpellier; 10.30 Club Valletta vs Steaua Bucharest.