Seniors back into international duty

Some fifteen of Gibraltar’s top players gathered on Wednesday morning for what is one of the first sessions of training with the national squad.
Although selectors have yet to name their long squad for the forthcoming internationals, Gibraltar’s national team has been using the time available these past weeks, along with the availability of players to put in some hours of training.
With football in Gibraltar now starting to see the fruits of a professional scene, many of the players present at Wednesday’s early morning training session were among those plying their trade solely in football.
Whilst small in number, compared to the forty-plus long squads which have gathered in other sessions, the time on the field under the guidance of head coach Julio Ribas, offers selectors and technical staff an opportunity to develop the team for what will be some tough European Championship qualifying group matches.
Although training at the Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar will be playing in Faro once again, ten years since it started its journey as an official UEFA member.
Their first match will see them play against Greece on Friday 24th March, later heading to the Netherlands where they will play against a Dutch team who will have previously played against France.
The double header against Greece and Netherlands will be the first of Gibraltar’s group matches which will see them play against France in June. A match which will also be played in Portugal.
Gibraltar’s national squad are expected to travel to Portugal in the coming days with a squad announcement expected just prior to their departure. They will be training in Portugal prior to their match against Greece.