Ray Farrugia and Ronald Vella were confirmed as coach and assistant coach of the Malta Under-21 national team for another two years.

Farrugia and Vella were appointed as coaches in January 2011 and headed the team in the last competition in Group 2 which also comprised Sweden, Slovenia, Ukraine, Finland and Lithuania. They garnered a very discreet total of five points with an away win against Lithuania, an away draw in Finland and a draw against the talented Ukrainian team in a match played at the Gozo Stadium.

The coaching tandem will continue in their recent footsteps with a re-invigorated team made up of new faces.

The Malta Under-21s will know their opponents on the 31st of January 2013 when the draws in Nyon will determine the composition of the group in the new qualification matches.

An international friendly match is set for the 6th of February when the Under-21 side will face Austria at Hibernians Stadium and a few days before that on the 15th of January a friendly with an Italian team, ASD Vigor Mellis – one of the leading youth teams in the Lazio region, is planned to hand in more minutes of play to the new Under 21 players.

Photo: Copyright © domenic aquilina