With the support of Balzan FC’s main sponsor, Investors Mutual, the Premier League club’s nursery continued to make significant progress coming into the new season.

Silvan Ciscaldi, who has just returned from a month in Sydney working with the Milan Soccer School, continues to head the nursery and from this year he will take direct responsibility for Balzan’s U-17 squad.

Two young players from the nursery, Gianfranco Micallef and Mikhail Sciberras, were recently selected to attend training in Italy in winter following trials held here by former Milan player Andrea Icardi.

In addition, Balzan continue to attract leading Italian coaches to work with the nursery.

To this end, Juventus U-17 coach Fabrizio del Rosso will be conducting training sessions this month with players from the club’s youth organisation.

Other Italian youth coaches will be visiting the nursery during the 2012/13 season.

“I am very happy to continue with our sponsorship of Balzan,” Anton Tagliaferro, founder of Sydney-based Investors Mutual, said in a statement.

“We have set two main objectives for season 2012/2013.

“One is for the club to maintain Premier League status and the other is to make the nursery one of the best on the islands.

“For us, the real achievement for any club is to be successful at all levels.”

Tagliaferro thanked club president George Borg and Peter Cipriott, the co-ordinator of the club’s youth sector, for their contribution.

“Thanks to the work put in by George Borg and Peter Cipriott, along with the continued support from Investors Mutual, all cards are in place for us to achieve our goals next season,” Tagliaferro said.