The passion of the Maltese fans has been repeatedly mooted as one of the key factors behind Juventus's decision to choose Malta as the venue of their winter training camp.
Although the first two training sessions held by Juventus yesterday were closed to the public, hundreds of supporters converged on Ta' Qali in the hope of seeing their favourites go through their paces.
Some came equipped with ladders to look over the concrete wall surrounding the training grounds while several others improvised, transforming the steel barriers, used by the police and security personnel to cordon off part of the road leading to the Centenary Stadium, into makeshift ladders.
The Juventus players, coaches and other officials made their way into the training grounds from the Centenary Stadium. Members of the team's backroom staff turned up as early as 8.30 a.m. to inspect the turf, dressing rooms and make all the necessary preparations for the team's training sessions.
Coach Claudio Ranieri conducted practice under generally clear skies as TV crews from Sky, Mediaset, Rai and Juventus Channel focused their camera lenses on the players and the curious crowd.
Photographers were allocated a 10-minute slot to take pictures of the players during the afternoon session but local television crews were surprisingly denied access.
Gianluca Pessotto, Juventus's sporting director, was at Ta' Qali yesterday. The former Juventus and Italy defender echoed Ranieri's positive comments about Malta and the fans.
"The Juve fans in Malta are very passionate about the team," Pessotto told The Times.
"We're obviously happy to have come here and start our work for what promises to be a very important year for Juventus.
"Our decision to stage our winter training camp in Malta was motivated by a number of factors," Pessotto continued.
"The affection of the Maltese fans was primary among these but we were also lured by the possibility of training in climatic conditions that are better than those in Italy.
"Furthermore, we also knew that Milan had a great time in Malta last year and went on to finish the season on a high note. We hope to achieve the same results."
Having made an impressive start to the Serie A campaign following their promotion from the second division, Juventus have descended on Malta with the aim of fine-tuning their preparations for the second half of the season.
"We're delighted with the work carried out by the entire squad so far this season," Pessotto remarked. "The task facing Juventus was not easy as we have rebuilt our squad, bringing in a new coach and new players but all have done a brilliant job in finding the right balance and teamwork in such a short time."
Juventus resume their Serie A commitments with a league match away to Catania on Saturday. Lying third in the Serie A with 35 points from 17 matches, Juve appear to be well-placed to reach their objective of qualifying for the Champions League next season.
"Our target has always been to win a place in the Champions League. That said, if we can challenge for better things, we will certainly do so," Pessotto added.
"Inter are firm favourites to win the scudetto because of their organisation and the strength of their squad but we will do our best to give them a good fight."
On a personal level, Pessotto insisted that he had no intention of severing his long association with Juventus.
"My future is with Juventus," Pessotto said.
"I had a fantastic time with Juventus as a player and I'm also enjoying what I'm doing now. Juventus are very close to my heart."
Meanwhile, a stadium-like atmosphere reigned at Sky Club in Paceville last night as thousands of fans attended a social event which also featured the participation of virtually the entire Juve squad.
This afternoon, between 3.30 and 4 p.m., Juventus will hold an open training session at the National Stadium, the venue of tomorrow's eagerly-awaited match between Valletta and the 'Old Lady'.