Premier League club Balzan yesterday announced that they had been successful in a grant application that includes an eight-day project for their academy players to visit Italy for a football and cultural exchange visit in August 2015.

The project will be funded with the support from the European Commission through its Erasmus+ programme.

Next year, the Balzan academy players will be visiting AC Prato with whom they have very strong football links.

Timmy Gambin, the Balzan FC Academy director, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded this grant.

“This exchange visit will enable our boys to further their football development as they meet Italian boys of a similar age group and learn from each other in a friendly and informal manner.”

Gambin added that during their stay in Italy, the Balzan players will also participate in a series of workshops and games besides visits to historical sites for the boys to learn more about Italian culture.

Anton Tagliaferro, the Balzan FC honorary president, said the trip to Prato will continue to lift the profile of his club.

“This is another big step forward by Balzan FC as we seek to become the leading football academy in Malta,” he contended.

“The youth exchange with AC Prato will be a memorable part of our young players’ personal development as well as being important in promoting our boys active EU citizenship.

“I want to thank everyone involved at the club with the success in obtaining this grant – as well as MEUSEC for its invaluable support and guidance throughout the grant application process.”