National Teams Head Coach Devis Mangia said that he expects a good performance and another improvement. He stated that he has been working with these players for over a year now and what was before just his (and his coaching team’s) philosophy, it has now been embraced and is the philosophy of all the team. Mr Mangia, together with national team player Luke Montebello were speaking during the match day -1 press conference prior to Malta’s upcoming home match against Cyprus.
Whilst speaking about the opponents, Mr Mangia agrees that Cyprus are a very good team which is in a much higher rank compared to the maltese national team. He said that they have good experienced players, most of who play abroad and others play in teams who did very well in European competitions.
‘I focus more on my team’s performance rather than the opponents and hope the players show personality on the pitch, and play our game’
Mangia reiterated that since March the team has encountered numerous problems, and this has resulted in a number of injured players. He said that he is disappointed that some players are missing due to injury however he, and the coaching staff, will manage the team as best as they can.
Luke Montebello said that this is the first game out of three and he feels that the team has prepared well and is hopeful that the results will be in our favour.
When speaking about the fans, Mr Mangia said that he is glad to be playing his first game in front of supporters. On the other hand Luke Montebello thanked the supporters who have been behind the team even when they played behind closed doors. He knows that they are super excited to once again flock to the stadium, and he promises that the team will give them their money’s worth.
Malta plays Cyprus tomorrow at 8:45pm at the National Stadium, Ta’ Qali.
Source and image: MFA
