Malta champions Valletta have accepted an invitation to play a pre-season friendly against Cagliari in Sardinia on August 11, City president Victor Sciriha confirmed yesterday.

The Valletta supremo told The Times that earlier this week top officials from the Italian outfit got in touch with him and offered his club the opportunity to feature in a warm-up match in Olbia later this month.

At present, Cagliari are finalising their pre-season training ahead of the 2012-13 Serie A season which gets under way in a fortnight’s time.

“Valletta FC and Cagliari Calcio have reached an agreement to figure in a pre-season friendly in Sardinia on August 11,” Sciriha said.

“We were approached by Cagliari to discuss the matter and we simply could not turn down their offer. This will be another significant step for us and Maltese football in general as it’s not common that a club from a renowned league like the Serie A comes up with such a proposal.”

With Cagliari barred from playing at their old Sant’Elia Stadium due to safety con-cerns, the team will be playing their home matches next season at the Stadio Com-munale Is Arenas in Quartu Sant’Elena.

However, this stadium is currently undergoing renovations to make it up to standard and fit to host matches from the top flight. The friendly against Valletta, starting at 9 p.m., will be played in Olbia, at the northern part of Sardegna.

Valletta return home the next day, in time for the national team players to join Pietro Ghedin’s Malta squad ahead of the friendly away at San Marino on August 14.

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