Malta waterpolo captain Stevie Camilleri joins Serie A1 side Nuoto Catania

Malta international waterpolo player Stevie Camilleri has reached an agreement to join Serie A1 club Catania, the Italian side announced in a statement.

It has been more than 14 years now that the prolific waterpolo goalscorer has been plying his trade in Italy and Camilleri has now decided to extend further his career abroad by reaching an agreement to join Catania.

“The Catania Nuoto of the future is starting to take shape, and does it from a diamond tip, the striker and current captain of the Maltese national team Steven Camilleri,” the Italian club said in a statement.

“The Maltese player, who knows the Italian championship very well, has collected great success over the years in both the Serie A1 and A2, scoring around 800 goals in the two categories.

“In the last two years, Camilleri has been playing with Muri Antichi in the Serie A2, but his history in Italy and in particular in the top series of the Italian national waterpolo starts from afar and more precisely from Bogliasco (2008-14 A1 series), then moving on to two other companies Ortigia (2015-17 series A1) and AS Roma Swimming (2017-20 A2-A1).”

The Italian club said that they were delighted to have secured the services of a player who boasts an eye-catching international career with the Malta national team after he was the top scorer at the 2016 European Championships.

Camilleri told the Italian club’s website that he was ready to return to the top series of the Italian waterpolo championship for the 2022-23 season.

“I’m very happy to become a part of Swimming Catania and I can’t wait to face again in the top series,” Camilleri said.

“I will put all my experience and effort at the disposal of the mister and the team, hoping to take away some satisfaction together. I thank the whole club for showing interest and wanting me”.

On his part, Catania coach Giuseppe Dato said: “Stevie Camilleri is a player who doesn’t need introduction and will certainly raise the technical level of our team. His experience and qualities will be of great help. We all welcome him with a big good luck.”

Catania’s sporting director Giuseppe Leonardi has heaped praise on Camilleri’s qualities.

“We are particularly pleased to have reached an agreement with Steven Camilleri, given his important football history, rich of successes,” Camilleri said.

“I would like to emphasise firstly his willingness to integrate into a homogeneous and cohesive group like ours. And I say this because in the days we met, to perfect the terms of the agreement, I have found a great desire in this sense, with always shareable purposes that will give us positive results in the course of the next championship.

“A championship that is predicted to be difficult and challenging, but before that we’ll be ready.”