Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
THERE ARE NO EASY GAMES IN INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL... EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE!
FIFA’S lowest ranked team at 211, San Marino’s mix of bankers, dentists and ‘normal guys’ have had a difficult build-up for tonight’s clash but they have a dream of leaving Wembley Stadium UNBEATEN
THEY are the team who have NEVER won a competitive match.
And if England’s stars think this season has been difficult, spare a thought for San Marino. They were not able to play for four months.
Covid restrictions meant there were no non-league matches, players were only allowed to train individually between
October and
February and they have only just returned to action.
It is hardly the best preparation for a trip to
Wembley. But the world’s lowest-ranked team, from a population of 33,000, who are made up largely of part-timers, still see it as a huge adventure.
“We only started one month ago, we’ve played just four official games before this triple header of World Cup qualifying matches,” said their manager Franco Varrella (left), 68, a former Juventus youth team player and experienced coach.
“When the opposition is so tough, the challenges are incredibly high. The challenge for every team is to make sure we never enter the pitch already beaten.
“That is our target for this game – to enter the pitch not beaten.”
San Marino have played England six times. They have lost all six, conceding 37 goals and scoring just once… and who can ever forget that?
Their famous opening goal in 1993 when Davide Gualtieri scored after just 8.3 seconds remains the second-fastest in World Cup qualifying history. Gualtieri is a national hero, despite England eventually winning 7-1, but they still missed out on qualifying for the 1994 World Cup, which cost boss Graham Taylor his job. Incredibly, San Marino were ranked 118th – their highest-ever standing – despite losing that match to England.
But after several changes to the FIFA system in recent years, they now find themselves nearly 100 places lower at the bottom of the pile.
FIFA has 211 recognised nations, but only 210 are currently
ranked. Yet they have just enjoyed their best-ever competitive sequence – two consecutive goalless draws against Lichtenstein and Gibraltar. All hope is not lost.
Veteran midfielder Mirko Palazzi (left), 34, said: “To play at Wembley is always a very proud moment for us, especially in such a historic moment at the start of a campaign.
“We want to make a better start ourselves at Wembley because it is a temple of football and England are one of the best teams in the world.
“We’ve played as a national team in so many games with some really big opponents – England, Spain and Germany.
Each time we’ve faced professional opponents, even with the smaller teams. We want to be as professional as possible – even if we’re not professional and we’re normal working people. But when San Marino players end their careers, the most beautiful memories will be from the national team and playing in great stadiums.”
Matteo Vitaioli, 31, has scored one goal in 62 caps while working parttime in a graphic design office.
He said: “We will share the pitch with players that we are used to seeing on TV.”
Football has always been about dreams and romance – and how San Marino are entitled to theirs.