Manchester United fans living in Malta are buzzing. In just a few days’ time, they will be sharing the same breathing space as some of the world’s most talented football players.

Man Utd goalkeeper David De Gea is one such superstar that will join the Spanish team when they touchdown on Monday ahead of their match against Malta on Tuesday.

"Great excitement" 

President of Malta’s Manchester United Club Joseph Tedesco says “Of course there is great excitement. We’ve been getting a lot of questions about whether we are organising an event with De Gea, but since this is a Malta Football Association event there are certain protocols to follow and we will not be approaching him for an appearance.”

The presence of a popular Man Utd player on Maltese soil comes at an extra special time for members of the Manchester United Club here. “We are now 60  years old, which makes us the oldest Manchester United Fan Club anywhere in the world, including in the UK,” added Mr Tedesco. “We held our first meeting on February 4th 1959 and have been around since. We travelled to the UK earlier this year and held a dinner in Manchester to mark the occasion, with past Man Utd players like Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville attending.”

“We have around 1,000 members in Malta, but I’m not sure how many of them will be attending the match.”

Anyone who makes it to the game on Tuesday will also see several other famous footballers in action, including Real Madrid Captain Sergio Ramos in centre back and Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata.  

What are the chances?

The game is being held in Ta’ Qali National Stadium as part of the qualifiers for the European Championships in 2020.

Malta currently ranks fifth place in Group F, while Spain ranks third – making Spain the favourite to win.

Malta has a dark history with Spain when it comes to football. The Spanish famously thrashed Malta 12-1 in the 1984 European qualifiers. In a Spanish TV show which aired last year, some of the former Maltese team members and coach claimed they lost that match because the players were drugged with lemons at half-time by a mysterious man in a white coat - interesting!

Let’s hope Tuesday’s match goes a lot better!