UEFA will raise the curtains on the 2015/16 competitions today with the draws for the first and second qualifying rounds of the Champions League and Europa League at the European football body’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Hibernians, Malta’s flag-bearers in the Champions League, will enter the fray in the second qualifying round (July 15 and 22) while Valletta, Birkirkara and Balzan will be involved in the first qualifying round of the Europa League (July 2 and 9).
A country’s representation in the Champions League and Europa League is based on its UEFA coefficient ranking at the start of the previous season, which is calculated over a five-year basis.
Malta lies 45th among 53 nations with a UEFA coefficient of 4.833 points.
Hibernians have a coefficient of 1.591 points.
Of the three Maltese sides in the Europa League, Valletta have the best coefficient of 4.841 followed by Birkirkara on 3.591 and European debutants Balzan on 0.841.
The four Maltese teams have already started training ahead of their European tests.
For Hibernians, Brazilian defender Rodolfo Soares and midfielder Jackson Lima returned from their close-season break last weekend while Brazilian striker Jorginho and Rui da Gracia Gomes, the Equatorial Guinea defender, are expected to report for training this week.
The Paolites, led by Branko Nisevic, winner of the 2014/15 MFA coach of the year award, have reached a verbal agreement to sign Brazilian playmaker Gilmar on loan from Naxxar Lions.
Hibernians were also hoping to extend goalkeeper Henry Bonello’s loan deal for another season but talks with Sliema Wanderers appear to have stalled.
Birkirkara, now under the charge of Italian coach Giovanni Tedesco, are having a training camp in Roccaporena, Italy.
On Saturday, the FA Trophy winners beat Cascia FC 3-0 in a friendly match. Tedesco, who last season guided Floriana to fifth place in the Premier League before succeeding Paul Zammit at Birkirkara, is running the rule over a host of trialists during the pre-season training camp.
Valletta have been the busiest club in the off-season so far with Zammit, their newly-appointed coach, leading the drive to secure the signature of seven new foreign players.
These are Cameroonian winger Njongo Priso, Brazilian striker Jhonnattann, Nigerian forward Umeh Calictus, Thierry Tazemeta, a striker from Equatorial Guinea, Italian midfielder Claudio Pani, Argentine defender Juan Cruz Gill and Ukrainian goalkeeper Oleksandr Musiyenko.
Balzan will be making their first appearance in a European competition after securing a top-four finish in the Premier League last season.
Coach Oliver Spiteri has made two important signings in Malta midfielder Ryan Fenech, the former Valletta captain, and Italian goalkeeper Valerio Senatore.
Spiteri is keeping faith with the core of players who achieved Balzan’s historic qualification for the Europa League but he could lose Italian striker Gianmarco Piccioni who is a target for a Scottish club.
Balzan have parted ways with Colombian winger Oscar Guerrero as Spiteri is looking at other options. He is currently assessing the qualities of a Lithuanian defender and a Russian winger.