Floriana are set to keep five of the foreign players they had last season with up to five newcomers expected to join the club this summer.
Veteran Argentine midfielder Nicolas Chiesa, Floriana’s captain last season, and the Italian quartet of Enrico Pepe, Antonio Monticelli, Mario Fontanella, the 2015/16 Premier League’s top scorer with 20 goals, and Matteo Piciollo are in the club’s plans for the coming season.
However, Piciollo’s future with Floriana is by no means certain as the Italian striker is reportedly attracting interest from a host of clubs in his home country.
Brazilian Emerson Marcelina has returned to Birkirkara following the end of his loan spell with Floriana while Italian defender Andrea Scozzese, Argentine striker Mauricio Villa and Brazilian midfielder Juninho have not been retained.
Riccardo Gaucci, the Floriana president, is overseeing the club’s recruitment drive as well as their search for a new coach after the Greens decided not to renew Luis Oliveira’s contract.
Under the Belgian coach, Floriana finished fifth in the championship and reached the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy but they again failed to reach their European target.
Giovanni Tedesco had been regarded as favourite to return for a second spell as Floriana coach but the Italian is now out of the picture to succeed Oliveira. Former Catania coach Maurizio Pellegrino is still in contention along with two other unnamed candidates.
Meanwhile, Trapani have seven more days to inform Floriana whether they intend to secure the services of Igor Coronado on a permanent basis. The Sicilian club signed the Brazilian playmaker on a one-year loan deal last summer with an option to acquire Coronado outright at the end of the season.
With Coronado emerging as one of the most exciting players in his debut season in Serie B, Trapani are tipped to activate the buy-out clause in their agreement with Floriana.
Last night, Trapani failed to clinch promotion to the Serie A after being held to a 1-1 home draw by Pescara in the second leg of the play-off final.
Pescara had won the first leg 2-0.