Details about two summer camps organised by the Lazio Supporters Club Malta were revealed during a press conference on Friday at the Intercontinental Hotel, St. George’s Bay. The first camp will be held between the 2nd and 6th July at the San Gwann Football Ground, in collaboration with San Gwann F.C. while the second will be held between the 9th and 13th July at the Gozo Football Stadium in collaboration with the Gozo Football Association and Kercem Ajax.

Lazio Supporters Club Malta Edward Psaila spoke about the success of the first two summer camps which were held over the past two years and that this summer camp will be held for the first time in Gozo thanks to the help provided by people like George Pace and Alvin Grech.

He mentioned the troubles that Gozitan players faced in the previous years, where they had to organise transport to and from Gozo so as to participate in these camps.

Psaila spoke about the opportunity offered to the young goalkeeper Dorian Bugeja (born 1998) who has been given the opportunity of a lifetime, to try out his skills in a trial with clubs to the likes of Latina Calcio, Aprilia, Sorrento and Siena Calcio thanks to Lazio Supporters Club’s links with nurseries in Lazio and DE.A Procura Sportiva e Management.

Edward Psaila spoke about the event which will be again directed by Volfango Patarca, the former S.S. Lazio youth sector guru and talent scout who was responsible for the club’s youth sector for twenty years. His publications include a book “Sulle Ali del Calcio” and was responsible for kicking-off the career of Alessandro Nesta, Federico Macheda, Marco Di Vaio, Gigi Di Biagio, Paolo Di Canio, Marco Materazzi, Giampiero Pinzi, Flavio Roma, Daniele Franceschini and Alessandro Iannuzzi. Over the past ten years, seventy one players from Patarca’s youth program are playing for the Italian professional teams and four are currently members of the national team.

Patarca was then appointed head coach of Lanciano Calcio and is now head coach of Pro Sabina Calcio – a club owned by the Nesta brothers.

In Malta, Patarca will be assisted by Stefano Avincola, who is replacing Giancarlo Oddi who will be unable to travel due to family matters and Filippo Appeddu. Avincola has trained players to the likes of Macheda, Perpetuini, Mendicino, Gazzi, Sforzini, Faraoni, Cavanda, Tuia, Ricci, Sevieri, Mancini, Cinque, Ceccarelli, Crescenzi and Zampa. Appeddu’s experience includes the training of Goalkeepers with various Rome nurseries.

Four players from each camp will be chosen by Italian Scouts for trials in Italy. This will be done in collaboration with DE.A Procura Sportiva e Management – http://www.deamanagement.it/

George Pace of Kercem Ajax Nursery thanked everyone the organisers for the great opportunity given to the young Gozitan players. He pointed out that the club is growing and that they have been working for the past two years to bring such an opportunity and to grow and strengthen the club. He hoped that this event would prove to be a successful one so as to help grow the football in Gozo.

Gozo FA president Alvin Grech said the association was always ready to help in the organization of such events. He said the GFA has put the Gozo Stadium at the disposal of the Italian coaches and the participants. Grech said that this was a good opportunity for the Gozitan coaches and young players and augured that the event would be a successful one.

On behalf of the San Gwann Nursery, Andrew Borg said the committee looked forward to such initiatives and talked positively about the opportunities offered to players and coaches. He said one should appreciate more such incentives and opportunities. Borg noted that unfortunately such events come with a fee and that the organisers managed to keep the costs lower thanks to sponsors and the voluntary work of many.

Andrew Borg continued by saying that he would like to see more clubs working together to organise such events and that his club was more interested in acting as a supplier of good players (in all aspects of life, maturity and talent) and that is how they gauged their success.

Young Dorian Bugeja had words of thanks for the opportunity being given and said that he will do his utmost to make Malta proud although he was keeping his feet on the ground.

Meanwhile a conference for coaches will be held on Saturday 7th July at San Gwann F.C. and on the 14th July in Gozo

Applications are to be sent to 10, Lazio Supporters Club offices, Sisters Street, Paola or to Full Marks sporting, 288, Zabbar Road Fgura – tel 21677262, tel 21677262, or phone either Edward Psaila 99498870 or Chris Sant (for San Gwann F.C.) 99498873 or George Pace (Gozo) 99402511, together with a fee of €15 by not later than the 30th June, 2012.

Applications and information can be downloaded from the Lazio Supporters Club website www.lazioclubmalta.net or by email through epsaila@onvol.net