Maltese football may not be considered among Europe’s elite, however it can still serve as a stepping stone for players. Ciro Palermo, agent of Genoa’s Cristian Romero spoke to Gianluca Lia about the benefits of the Premier League for his South American clients…

The rapid increase of foreign players gracing the fields of Maltese football has opened the doors for more nationalities to feature in our Premier League.

In the past, most of the local top-flight clubs used to sign players from the African continent as they were deemed to be physically strong and they could be a useful source in the middle of the park or inside the penalty area.

Ciro PalermoCiro Palermo

However, that trend is starting to change as in recent years local teams are bringing in more South American talent to their squads.

Players coming from that region are known to be more technical, therefore the Maltese teams are now looking more into the skills of a player, rather than his physical qualities.

South American players are proving to be game changers in the 2018/2019 season so far. Brazilian duo Taylon and Tiago Fonseca are spearheading Hibernians’ title challenge while Valletta’s Miguel Alba, who hails from Argentina, has been a prominent figure for Danilo Doncic’s clan as they are looking to retain both the league and the cup titles they won last year.

Taking a closer look into the league, one can notice that South American players are being spotted also by teams who are at the other end of the standings.

One example from this year is Senglea Athletic, who have banked their hopes of avoiding the drop on a group of players coming from Argentina and Brazil and so far they are reaping the fruit from these acquisitions.

The man behind most of the transfers of the Cottonera outfit is agent Ciro Palermo, who runs also the interests of Genoa’s Cristian Romero, who has been lately linked with a move to Juventus.

Contacted by the Times of Malta, Palermo underlined the importance of an experience abroad for his Argentine clients in order to continue nurture their talents before embarking on big projects.

“I believe that Argentine players should move out from the comfort zone and play football abroad, as it helps them to mature,” Palermo said.

“That is why I try to bring a lot of Argentine players into the Maltese League, because I believe that it is a formative championship where they can learn a lot from it.

“Bringing players at the age of 17 or 18 is not always easy, especially in a physical league but I think that this can serve as a stepping stone for a move to a more demanding championship.”

Palermo highlighted the case of Imanol Gonzalez, who played 14 games in the 2018/2019 campaign with Senglea before moving to Italy’s Casertana, in the Serie C during the winter transfer window.

“Imanol Gonzalez is one of the best examples because he used to play with the second team of Belgrano, in Argentina, before joining Senglea,” Palermo said.

“He feels that he formed himself in Malta and improved his game quickly and that paved the way for his move to Italy after just few months in the Maltese Premier League.”

Another Senglea member who is set to leave the club at the end of the season is Gonzalo Leyton, who has already put pen to paper on a deal with Switzerland’s Chiasso for next season.

Leyton, together with Gonzalo Virano who returned to the Senglea’s line-up in their 3-3 draw against Valletta last month, came through the Boca Juniors academy from where Palermo isseeking to land more players in Malta.

“I have a good relationship with Boca and I had tried to bring in another talent, Lucas Brochero, aged 20, but at the moment he is finding regular playing time at the youth squad of the Xeneizes, therefore it is better to leave him there at the moment,” Palermo said.

Senglea’s fortunes have been turned in the second part of the season thanks also to the contribution of forward Augusto Caseres, who has scored four goals in his last five appearances for the Cottonera outfit.

“Augusto Caseres’ contract will expire at the end of the season and he has already received offers from Spain and Portugal, therefore I already need to explore the best options for his career,” Palermo revealed.

“The same goes for Matias Garcia who is now in this third year at the club and has been doing really well recently, therefore I will be looking to see if he will receive important offers from across Europe.

Moreover, Diego Venancio, the newest addition to the team and who hails from Brazil, is also looked upon by various clubs.”

Palermo added that his relationship with Senglea has helped him to work in a healthy environment with them and that the Maltese club believes in the quality that his clients can bring to the team, making it easier for both parties to make deals go through.

“The impressive work of coach Enzo Potenza has also been helpful to maximise the potential of my clients, because in such a short time ha managed to make the most of a group composed of many foreign players with different styles of play,” Palermo said.

Asked about his impression on Maltese players, the Italian agent believes that playing alongside foreigners of a decent level can automatically help them to improve their game and become more competitive.

“If the foreign players that come in Malta are considered game changers, they can help their Maltese counterparts to improve,” Palermo explained.

“I believe that Senglea, both last year and this year, made a leap in quality when the players coming from overseas boasted a good level of football while the Maltese playing with them started to believe more in themselves, helping the team to perform well.”

Romero’s future

In the recent weeks, Romero was reportedly close to join Juventus in a move believed to cost around €30 million.

However, with the help of agent Palermo, Romero has pledged his future at Genoa with a contract renewal until 2023.

Despite struggling to play in Argentina, the Argentine defender has left an impact since making his Serie A debut at Genoa – ironically, against Juventus in their 1-1 draw at the Allianz Stadium.

Romero, aged 20, has now played 18 games with Genoa, scoring one goal and registering an assist as well.

“I have been taking care of Cristian Romero since he was 14, and our relationship is based on trust,” Palermo explained.

“In my job, having the reciprocal respect and trust from your clients is key in order to be involved in such deals.”

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