Malta youth Emma Ciantar Piccinino moves to Sunderland Academy

Emma Ciantar Piccinino is set to become the latest Maltese women player to seek pastures new abroad as the youth midfielder will be moving to England where she will start a new adventure at the Sunderland Foundation of Light Academy.

The 2003-born player has been offered a two-year Football Scholarship programme by Sunderland’s Foundation of Light Academy.

Established in 2001 by former Sunderland AFC chairman Sir Bob Murray CBE, they are are linked to the main club of Sunderland. In spite of this, they are structurally and financially independent of the football club meaning they are responsible for fundraising £4 million every year to run their programmes.

She joined the team in early August as the Academy will be preparing its girls groups for the five competitions they will be involved in namely the NFYL Women’s Premier League, NFYL Women’s National Premier, NFYL Women’s Cup, AOC Women’s Premier League and AOC Women’s Premier Cup. 

Piccinino has been part of the U-16’s and U-17’s national teams so far, having also represented Malta in the annual UEFA Development Tournament as well.

At club level, she has already played in the senior league with Raiders Għargħur with whom she spent the past two years. Previously, she was at Mosta as well. 

In 2019, she was also been invited to a number of tournaments in Sweden where with AIK Solna she participated in the Solversborgcupen and the Gothia Cup – two of the most prestigious youth tournaments in the world.

Moreover, she also went a number of tryouts at the sixth form football programme of Manchester City, last year as well.

She will be following into the footsteps of fellow Malta international Maria Farrugia who prior breaking into the first team of Sunderland Ladies, was part of the Sunderland Foundation of Light Academy herself as well.