Sliema Wanderers president Keith Perry has dropped a crystal-clear indication that his club opposes the idea of removing the quota restrictions on the use of foreign players in the BOV Premier League and reaffirmed his faith in home-grown talent.

“We’re investing in young players,” Perry told reporters at the launch of Sliema’s sponsorship deal with DIZZ Group.

“I know that there is this issue about the foreign players but I’m just fixated with investing in our children.

“Michele Sansone, Timothy Aquilina, Ryan Spiteri, Jean Paul Farrugia, Peter Xuereb and Gabriel Aquilina are all young players who have five-year contracts with our club.

“We have faith in our youths and the coach (John Buttigieg) shares this belief as, for him, what really matters is that a player has the right credentials to play in our team, regardless of nationality.

“Up to three years ago, we only had 90 children in our nursery, now we have 320.

“I must also stress that DIZZ Group are sponsoring our nursery along with the senior team. We have also created an academy which is doing very well.”

Perry distanced himself from suggestions that there is a general consensus among top-flight clubs to open the doors to an unlimited number of foreigners.

“There is no consensus as the subject has only been briefly discussed by the Premier Division Standing Committee,” Perry said.

“No vote has been taken on this issue, either. As far as Sliema Wanderers FC are concerned, if we shared these intentions (to increase number of foreigners), we wouldn’t invest in youngsters.”

The partnership deal with DIZZ Group has enhanced the feel-good factor at Sliema as the Blues are unbeaten in their last six league games after recovering from a difficult start to the season.

Perry is naturally pleased with the team’s progress under Buttigieg who succeeded Alfonso Greco in the close season.

“In the summer, our aim was to appoint a coach who really understands our mentality,” Perry said.

“There was also an outcry at Sliema to bring back John Buttigieg whose father Robbie is a club legend while John himself also spent eight years here during his playing career.

“Sliema Wanderers are Buttigieg’s natural home.

“Our season started on a somewhat wobbly note but the team is finding its feet and we are now unbeaten in the last six matches.”

Perry insisted that Sliema are keeping their feet on the ground with regards to their targets for this season.

“We are the first and last club to lift the original FA Trophy and, of course, we are keen to get our hands on the new cup this season,” Perry said before adding that Sliema’s aim in the league was to return to European football.

He described Sliema’s partnership with DIZZ Group as a “natural marriage”.

“Without the backing of the sponsors, it’s not possible to invest in young players and the nursery,” Perry said.

“Our sponsors also have close connections with Sliema Wanderers and are part of our family. DIZZ Group are the largest company in their sector, they are leaders in the retail market.

“I see it as a natural marriage because we are both driven by a determination to succeed.”

Perry also thanked Zarb Coaches, who he said have been backing Sliema since the first day of his presidency, and Fort Fitness.

Spearheaded by Diane Izzo, DIZZ Group have flourished in recent years, establishing themselves as one of the leading companies in the retail sector.

They are the local agents for a string of prestigious clothing brands like Paul & Shark, Harmont&Blaine, Brooks Brothers, Liu-Jo and Trussardi, among others.

DIZZ’s Sliema ties

Izzo, CEO of DIZZ Group whose husband is  Karl Izzo, the highly-respected Malta waterpolo coach, said it was an honour for her and her company to be part of Sliema Wanderers.

“I see this agreement as the start of a long-term relationship with Sliema Wanderers... we believe in what we’re doing,” she said.

“Our family has close ties with this club. My husband is from Sliema and his father (Edgar) was a member of the Sliema Wanderers committee for 10 years.

“My husband’s grandfather is none other than Tony Nicholl, probably the best Maltese player ever, while Sliema Wanderers are the most decorated club.

“I have a lot of respect for Keith Perry but partnership agreements are not based only on mutual esteem.

“We have the same mentality on how we can make a success out of this sponsorship.

“The benefits are not only financial.

“We are the biggest company in the retail sector and we also want to contribute to enhance the appearance of Sliema Wanderers and pursue other initiatives.”

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.