Birkirkara-Milan at Ta’ Qali
Local champions Birkirkara will be facing star-studded AC Milan this evening in a lucrative friendly (exhibition) match at the Ta’ Qali national stadium.
The expected large crowd will see the culmination of a one-week training camp staged by the famous Italian club in Malta.
This visit generated a lot of interest and enthusiasm among local Milan fans and Italian football enthusiasts in general and it was no surprise that tickets for all the activities, including today’s match, have proved to be very popular.
Wherever the players have been – either at the Ta’ Qali training grounds or on the sand at Golden Bay, they were followed by thousands of enthusiasts who must have felt more than honoured with the presence here of such world renowned stars.
Tonight’s match will see both teams playing some exhibition football, especially from Milan, who will include all their top stars at one time or another during the 90 minutes. These will include Clarence Seedorf, Paolo Maldini, Andrea Pirlo, Kaka, Alberto Gilardino, Gennaro Gattuso, Massimo Ambrosini, Pippo Inzaghi, Dida, Costacurta, Kaladze, Cafu, Grimi, Simic, Borriello, Kalac, Favalli, Ricardo Oliveira, Aubameyang, Bonera, Jankulovski, Gourcuff and Cristian Brocchi not to mention all the others.
The fans have been waiting for today to see the players not just training, but actually playing, even if it will be modest Birkirkara who will be providing the opposition.
As Stripes coach Stephen Azzopardi said, no comparison can be made between the two teams. He says that the Stripes will try to cut a good figure. “It is a big experience for us all, especially our players, and despite the huge gap between the two teams, we feel honoured to be playing against them,†he said.
Azzopardi has now recovered most of his injured players and it seems as if only Argentine striker Dario Larrosa, apart from Antoine Zahra, will be unable to make an appearance.
In any case, it is evident that all players in the two squads will be making an appearance during the match. This will give the opportunity for the Birkirkara players to say “we have played against Milanâ€. On the other hand, the fans will be able to see all their favourites in action live, not on TV, but on the lush Ta’ Qali Stadium surface.
Tonight’s match should be a great occasion for local sport and although it is just a friendly, I expect the local champions to be given priority in terms of support. Let us forget about the mistakes of the past. Let us all enjoy the match and applaud all those who deserve it.
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