Birkirkara’s drive to reinforce their first-team set-up and sustain a semi-professional training scheme received a timely boost yesterday in the shape of a sponsorship deal with online gaming company BetClic.

Amid reports of strong interest by a host of Premier League clubs in out-of-contract striker Michael Mifsud, the Malta champions secured the backing of another Michael Mifsud as BetClic’s Birkirkara-born Malta representative was instrumental in setting up this sponsorship agreement.

“I want to thank Michael Mifsud and BetClic for supporting our club,” Birkirkara president Karm Galea told a news conference at the club premises yesterday.

“Sponsorships are essential for football clubs. At Birkirkara, we have been striving to become more professional and thanks to the work of the committee and coach Paul Zammit, we have a semi-professional training scheme in place.

“We are doing our utmost to ensure that our players are looked after but to do this you need a lot of money.”

The much-awaited clash with Premier League leaders and rivals Valletta tomorrow is expected to mark BetClic’s ‘debut’ as one of Birkirkara’s partners as the team shirts will feature the BetClic logo on the back. The sponsorship agreement is for 18 months.

“I’m very pleased to be representing BetClic in this sponsorship deal,” Mifsud said. “BetClic is perhaps one of the few online gaming companies to associate itself with Maltese football through this sponsorship.

“I feel at home here as I’m from Birkirkara. I have an affinity with this club.”

In addition to Juventus and French Ligue 1 clubs Marseille and Lyon, BetClic sponsor no fewer than 28 clubs in Portugal and Italian volleyball side Trentino.

“BetClic has a strong relationship with sport and one of the company’s slogans is ‘Passion for sport’,” Mifsud added. As of yesterday, Maltese residents can make use of BetClic’s services by registering online at www.betclic.com.

“The company’s leading motto is ‘Bet on the best’ and this explains BetClic’s policy to align itself with the best,” Mifsud said. “I hope this motto augurs well for the future of this partnership with Birkirkara.”

Birkirkara coach Zammit said the support of companies like BetClic is vital for the progress of Maltese football.

“As a person who is involved in local football, a sponsorship of this kind helps not only our club but the game in general,” Zammit said.

“We have long been talking about the need to boost Maltese football but we must first strengthen the structure of our clubs and this can only be achieved with the right financial backing.”

Having guided Birkirkara to the Premier League title in his first season in charge, Zammit declared that the team have achieved most of their aims over the past 18 months but stressed that his philosophy is to look forward and upward.

Reflecting on his team’s performance in the Premier League this season, Zammit bemoaned the disruptive effect injuries to key players had on his team’s progress.

“Our injury spell began last summer, before the Champions League match away to Zilina,” Zammit said.

“We ’ve never been at full strength this season.

“I’m looking to make two signings during this month’s transfer window to strengthen the squad. I’m trying to bring in one foreign and one Maltese player or two foreigners.”

Rumours that Sylvano Comvalius, who spent a few days in Malta earlier this week, may rejoin Birkirkara were dismissed by Zammit. The Dutch winger has agreed a move to a club in Kuwait following his short and uneventful spell with Scottish club Stirling Albion.

While heaping praise on his players “for doing their best to maintain the challenge”, Zammit said Birkirkara’s ‘best signings’ this month could be those players who are close to making a return from injuries, the likes of Trevor Cilia, Serbian defender Nikola Vukanac and Andrew Decesare.

Cilia’s recovery is taking longer than expected after scans showed that the nature of his knee injury was different to that indicated in the initial diagnosis, Zammit said.

The Stripes are also closely monitoring the health of Scottish defender Ryan Harding who has not played since falling ill after the 2-2 draw with Sliema on December 5.

Given that Birkirkara trail Valletta by 10 points, a defeat in tomorrow’s showdown would further diminish their chances of retaining the title but Zammit remains upbeat.

“Our aim is to keep challenging for the title,” Zammit said. “The immediate objective is to secure our place in the Championship Pool as we’re not there yet.

“Valletta have a significant lead at the top but the format of the league means that the race for the title takes off at the start of the second phase.

“We must work hard to try to move as close to the leaders as possible by the end of the second round.”

Gatt praise

Asked for his reaction to Robert Gatt’s appointment as technical director of the Malta FA, Zammit replied: “I believe it’s an honour for local coaches that the new technical director of the MFA is Maltese.

“Robert Gatt’s coaching credentials are well-known. I have already phoned Robert Gatt to wish him success in his new role.

“He deserves to be the person to start a programme aimed at taking Maltese football forward. Gatt is the right person for the job.”