Northern Ireland v San Marino Official Match Programme

SANMARINO THE COACH JSVQIV MRXIVREXMSREP QMHƤIPHIV 4MIVERKIPS 1ER^EVSPM XSSO SZIV XLI VIMRW JVSQ +MEQTESPS 1E^^E [LS LEH FIIR MR GLEVKI SJ 7ER 1EVMRSŭW REXMSREP XIEQ JSV ]IEVW Ʌ -R *IFVYEV]

1ER^EVSPM LEH WIVZIH LMW ETTVIRXMGIWLMT EW coach of the Under-21 squad from 2010. His best result as U21 coach had been a 1-0 victory in a )YVS UYEPMƤIV EKEMRWX ;EPIW MR 7ITXIQFIV The goal was scored by Fiorentina defender Juri Biordi. -R XLI )YVS UYEPMƤIVW 1ER^EVSPMŭW GLEVKIW PSWX XLIMV ƤVWX XLVII QEXGLIW MRGPYHMRK E VIZIVWI against England at Wembley, before they gained their only point of the campaign with a 0-0 draw at home to Estonia. San Marino lost their six remaining matches but did manage to score - it was their solitary goal of XLI UYEPMƤIVW MR E E[E] HIJIEX XS 0MXLYERME MR 7ITXIQFIV 1MHƤIPHIV 1EXXIS :MXEMSPM RIXXIH from a free-kick just outside the box. -R XLI ƤVWX QEXGL SJ XLI ;' GEQTEMKR SR 7ITXIQFIV EKEMRWX %^IVFEMNER Ʉ1ER^EVSPMŭW troops, playing a 5-4-1 formation, lost by a headed goal seconds before the break in front of 1500 spectators in the national stadium (Serravalle). It is likely San Marino will play a similar formation against Northern Ireland, with the emphasis on holding the hosts and relying on breaks from defence.

-R LMW TPE]MRK GEVIIV ŭ ű QMHƤIPHIV 1ER^EVSPM QEHI LMW MRXIVREXMSREP HIFYX MR 3GXSFIV MR E )YVS UYEPMƤIV E[E] XS &YPKEVME HIJIEX ERH [IRX SR XS [MR GETW ,I IRHIH LMW TPE]MRK career in the summer of 2008. It certainly appears a daunting task coaching the national team rated 211th in the FIFA rankings, with a record of just one victory in their entire history (1-0 in a friendly at home to Liechtenstein in April 2004), however the coach has his own opinion about his charges’ ambitions. He said: “Our primary aim is different from that of other teams: our main objective is damage limitation, and that can be psychologically draining. Most of our players earn at the most £240 a month as players, and most have full-time jobs, training in the evenings. In other countries playing football is a job, in San Marino it is a hobby, a passion. “Sport to me means giving everyone the chance XS QIEWYVI XLIQWIPZIWɄEKEMRWX XIEQW [LMGL are much stronger. Don’t forget Brazil conceded seven goals at home to Germany in the World Cup WIQM ƤREP MRɄ *SV YW XLI GLEPPIRKI MW XS PSSO XS improve in every game.”

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