Wiseman makes his own choices

Any pressure that may have existed for Gibraltar’s interim head coach, Scott Wiseman, to continue the legacy of former national head coach Julio Ribas seems to have dissipated. The former Gibraltar international is standing by his selection choices for the squad ahead of their forthcoming matches against Croatia and the Faroe Islands.
While the core of the squad continues to pick itself — with regulars like Annesley, Bent, Britto, De Barr, Walker, Lope, Ronan, Banda, Torrilla, Scanlon, and Valarino featuring in the lineup — the inclusion of younger talents such as Bartolo and Jesop, along with others like Carrington, Del Rio, Gibson, Mauro, McClafferty, and Richards, shows that Wiseman is keen to bring his own flavour to the team. He is also expected to maintain his more offensive style of play, which gained some momentum during Gibraltar’s initial Euro qualifier matches.
Gibraltar’s first match against Croatia will not only be a major test for Wiseman’s squad but also serves as a boost to the ongoing debate surrounding the proposed 8,000-seater stadium in Gibraltar.
Although critics have continued to voice objections to the scale of the project, recent reports close to the Gibraltar Football Association suggest that the match against Croatia — had it been held in Gibraltar — might have seen the proposed new stadium fall short of demand. According to informed sources, Croatia initially requested around 6,000 tickets for their supporters. The final figure has not been confirmed, and no official comment has been made on the request.
Still, with Gibraltar once again forced to play in Portugal, these reports have bolstered confidence in the decision to build a stadium with a higher seating capacity. Forecasted attendance numbers and logistical considerations had already suggested that an 8,000-seater stadium would be no more costly than a 4,000-seater, potentially silencing many critics who opposed the larger build.
Gibraltar hopes to see international football return to home soil later this year. Optimism surrounds the potential successful completion of a new seated area at the Europa Point Stadium, combined with its already certified pitch for European club competition. A positive assessment from UEFA, once the seating is completed, could pave the way for official matches to be played in Gibraltar again — even while the new stadium is still under construction.
With the cost of playing in Faro deemed unsustainable — especially due to its impact on supporters — the Gibraltar FA continues working behind the scenes to bring international football back to the Rock.