Still without a point after five qualifiers, Malta are aware that their hopes of opening their account in the clash with top guns Greece this evening (kick-off 8.30 p.m.) are remote but that should not impede them from giving their all to produce a spirited performance.
A bold showing would not only lift the players’ morale ahead of their final four Group F games, it would also help to restore a vestige of credibility to the national team in the wake of allegations that some Maltese players accepted bribes before their 4-0 defeat to Norway in a Euro 2008 qualifier four years ago.
“Our aim is always the same,” Malta coach John Buttigieg told The Times from Greece.
“We will try to gain a good result and produce a positive perfor-mance. It will not be easy. We know we are facing a very strong team, one of the best in our group, but we have to do our best.”
Buttigieg admitted that the Norway scandal cast a pall over the team’s preparations but is backing his players to put all the off-field controversies behind them.
“There’s nothing to say,” Buttigieg observed.
“It’s a very negative thing for Maltese football but we didn’t dwell long on it. We have to think about what we can do in the next match.
“I trust my players to do their best in every game. This story has been a distraction but I believe that once the players step on to the pitch, they will only focus on the game.”
The absence of Carlo Mamo, who is getting married this evening, means that Buttigieg must make at least one change from the team he selected for the home game against Greece. Jamie Pace, a half-time replacement for Jonathan Caruana after the Malta defender picked up an injury in the first period, is also out of the equation after failing to earn a place in the final squad.
Questioned about Pace’s omission, Buttigieg replied: “It was a technical decision. In the national squad, no player has his place guaranteed. In the last three months, I’ve continued to monitor the players’ performances in domestic matches and also in training. I always try to pick the players who are in the best form.”
Greece were relieved to emerge unscathed from their encounter with Malta at Ta’ Qali last March after Vasilis Torosidis scored at the death to give his team a narrow 1-0 win.
This time around, Greece are expected to put Malta under pressure from the outset in search of a commanding victory that would keep them firmly on course to qualify for the Euro 2012 finals as group winners.
Buttigieg is bracing himself for a tough evening.
“This group has become quite complicated after Georgia beat Croatia in the last round of matches. Greece can’t afford to drop points, especially against the smaller teams in the group,” he said.
Malta trained at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, home to Olympiakos, yesterday.
On Thursday, the squad had a light training session at a ground in Athens in the morning but the poor condition of the pitch prompted general manager Ivan Vella to request a different venue for the evening drill. Malta were eventually given the go-ahead to practise at the stadium of Panionios.
Malta formation (probable): J. Haber, J. Caruana, G. Sciberras, A. Agius, J. Hutchinson, D. Bogdanovic, R. Briffa, M. Mifsud, S. Bajada, A. Schembri, A. Cohen/R. Fenech.
Referee: Pawel Gil (Poland).