Qormi FC aim at retaining Premier League status

Newly-promoted Qormi F.C. will be aiming at retaining their Premier League status as they return among the elite of the local game after a two-year absence according to Qormi FC President Victor Camilleri who was addressing those present during the presentation of their new signings at the Verdala Palace on Wednesday.

Qormi were promoted as champions last season and now look forward at establishing themselves once again in the Premier League.

Camilleri said that this was the start of a new era for the club. He said that when he and the rest of the committee took over, the club was in huge difficulties but thanks to hard work and sacrifices, Qormi managed to regain promotion to the top division after just two years. At the time, the club had to start from scratch and was hit by a garnishee order but the club soon started moving in the right direction. He added that the club made a huge leap in just one year.

The Qormi president stressed on the importance of having all stakeholders within the club to work hard and that respect and hard work leads to unity and harmony between the players, the club and its supporters. Camilleri added that if everyone gave his input, the burden will be much smaller as it would be spread over a lot of people.

He thanked the hard work of the other committee members, and in particular Emmanuel Fenech, saying that such people gave him the strength to work even harder.

As regards the squad, Victor Camilleri said that apart from signing new players, the club agreed new long-term deals with other players, in order not to rely too much on players on loan as it was the case up to a few years ago. He thanked sports director Mario Scerri who is in charge of foreign players – scouting and monitoring players and then consulting with the club with.

This summer, Qormi secured the services of Seo-In Kim, Leonardo Henrique Ferreira, Kassiano Soares Mendonça, Davide Mansi, Claudio Celis, Alexsandro dos Santos Ferreira, Michael Borg, Gaetano Gesualdi, Manolito Micallef and Dorian Bugeja.

However earlier this week, Leonardo Henrique Ferreira ‘Leozinho’, who played for Floriana and Mosta over the past two years, sustained an injury which rules him out, at least for the first part of the season. Camilleri said he is confident Qormi will retain their Premier League status and there would be further add-ons to the squad if necessary later on.

He thanked Tumas Group who is once again the main sponsor and other sponsors who will be revealed shortly.

The Qormi president said the committee is investing in the club and planning ahead and concluded by saying that he is confident that a bright future lies ahead for the club.

Coach Brian Spiteri starts his third season at the club. Spiteri said that on the club’s return to the Premier League, the club has the chance to strengthen its status and establish itself among the elite. He said that for this to be achieved, first of all, the club needs to continue to improve its operations; the supporters’ club play a fundamental role in backing the team, especially in decisive games; the nursery needs to be strengthened further in order to be able to attract more players, not only from Qormi; and players have to work hard to reach the club’s objectives.

Spiteri said that retaining Premier League status was a target which the club can achieve. He said that after six weeks of pre-season training, he was not only happy with the performance in training and friendly matches but also with the players’ commitments. He said the new players have integrated well and this augurs well for a good season.

The Qormi coach thanked his assistant Matthew Psaila, goalkeepers’ coach Francesco Scopece and the rest of the technical staff.

Captain Alessio Cassar thanked the rest of the players for the sacrifices they do and said that if they worked hard together, Qormi had what it takes to achieve their objective although obviously it would be more difficult than last season.

Qormi President Victor Camilleri thanked the HE President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca for granting the club permission to make use of the Verdala Palace for the presentation.