Northern Ireland v San Marino Official Match Programme

SANMARINO

FACTFILE

7ER 1EVMRS EVI XLI XVYI ŬQMRRS[Wŭ SJ )YVSTIER JSSXFEPP 8LI XMR] VITYFPMG JSYRHIH MR %( MW WMXYEXIHɅMR XLI %TIRRMRIɅQSYRXEMRW MR -XEP] NYWX SYXWMHI 6MQMRM ERHɅGSZIVW ER EVIE SJ NYWX WUYEVI QMPIW [MXL E TSTYPEXMSR NYWX SZIV 8LI REXMSREP WMHI [LMGL FIKER XS TPE] GSQTIXMXMZI JSSXFEPP MR LEW WXMPP XS [MR E KEQI MR E UYEPMƤGEXMSR GEQTEMKR

San Marino’s best results in international GSQTIXMXMSRɄLEZI FIIR MR ;SVPH 'YT UYEPMƤIVW where the team drew 0-0 at home against Turkey in 1EVGL MR XLIMV ƤVWX IZIV ;SVPH 'YT UYEPMJ]MRK campaign and eight years later in April 2001 when they drew 1-1 away against Latvia. The scorer of that historic goal was defender Nicola Albani, who had celebrated his 18th birthday just 10 days earlier. Their biggest defeats were 13-0 at home to Germany in September 2006, 10-0 away to Poland in April 2009, 10-1 away to Belgium in February 2001, 9-0 away to Ukraine in September 2013 and 8-0 away to Belgium in September 2005, while they held Lithuania to 1-0 at home in 2SZIQFIV ERHɄ&IPKMYQ XS EX LSQI MR March 2005. In their World Cup qualifying campaigns, up to last month's 1-0 defeat at home to Azerbaijan, San 1EVMRS LEZI TPE]IH KEQIW [SR RSRI HVE[R X[S PSWX WGSVMRK RMRI KSEPW ERH GSRGIHMRK There is one record the San Marino team can GIVXEMRP]ɄXEOI TVMHI MR FEGO MR 2SZIQFIV in Bologna they scored the fastest goal ever in a ;SVPH 'YT UYEPMƤIV [LIR (EZMHI +YEPXMIVM RIXXIH against England after just eight seconds! -R )YVS UYEPMƤIVW XLIMV VIGSVH MW EPWS XS WE] the least - disappointing. They have played a total of 46 games, losing every one, with a goals record of six goals for and 200 conceded. In the )YVS UYEPMƤIVWɄ7ER 1EVMRS WYJJIVIH XLIMV heaviest ever margin of defeat, 13-0 at home to Germany in the Stadio Olimpico di Seraville in

September 2006. It is also the largest margin of defeat in any match in the history of the European Championships. Former national team coach Giampaolo Mazza [EW MR GLEVKI JVSQ XS ERH [EW XLI longest serving national coach in Europe. He EPQSWX EGLMIZIH XLEX IPYWMZI ƤVWX GSQTIXMXMZI victory and Republic of Ireland fans will recall with a shudder how one of those rare successes RIEVP] GEQI MR *IFVYEV] MR XLI WXEHMYQ MR XLI hills above Rimini against Steve Staunton's side MR E )YVS UYEPMƤIV *SV[EVH 1ERYIP 1EVERM scored on 86 minutes to equalise Kevin Kilbane's XL QMRYXI WXVMOI SRP] JSV 7XITLIR -VIPERH XS HEWL those dreams with a goal four minutes into added XMQI [MXL XLI VIJIVII FPS[MRK XLI ƤREP [LMWXPI XLVII seconds after the re-start. All-time top goalscorer for San Marino is 40-year- old Andrea ‘Andy’ Selva, who stepped down as captain of the national team in October 2015. He has scored eight goals in 73 appearances. San Marino's record in competitive games since XLI] TPE]IH MR XLI UYEPMƤIVW JSV )YVS MW TPE]IH [SR HVE[R PSWX KSEPW JSV EKEMRWX The San Marino national stadium is the Stadio Olimpico with a capacity of 6664 (all seated) - around 24% of the population of San Marino. The stadium was opened in 1969. Spectators are accommodated in two stands at either side of the pitch. There is an athletics track around the perimeter of the pitch. As well as the national team, the stadium is used by SC Faetano, AC

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