San Marino are decided to point out they’re not the whipping boys of world soccer as they start their Euro 2024 qualifying marketing campaign at house to Northern Ireland.
San Marino sit within the acquainted place of 211st and final in FIFA’s international rankings, with the microstate – the fifth smallest nation on the earth – but to win a aggressive worldwide in 166 makes an attempt.
But whereas the outcomes haven’t modified, the scorelines have improved since Fabrizio Constantini changed Franco Varrella within the wake of the 10-0 house defeat to England in November 2021.
Since then, bar a 4-0 Nations League defeat to Estonia final September, San Marino have conceded targets in ones and twos, relatively than sixes and sevens.
“We are motivated and have done better recently and also scored more goals. We respect Northern Ireland but we don’t want to be victims,” mentioned Constantini.
“We will try to play as well as we can but we also know Northern Ireland is a very strong team and it is a team that has had some very good results over the years and with Michael O’Neill back as manager, maybe it will be even stronger.
“This is the first time we have prepared by looking at ourselves and not the other team because we know when a new coach comes in everything changes with the combination of the team.
“We hope it will be our first win in a competitive international. You never lose hope.”
Midfielder Alessandro Golinucci, who performs his membership soccer for Virtus, mentioned though the gamers had been nicely conscious of their repute and rating in world soccer, he believes instances are altering.
“I have a positive feeling about the match,” he mentioned. “We are very united and are ready to play a good match.
“Now we have the possibility to play well. We are not the old San Marino, we are a new San Marino and we have potential and possibilities to do more.
“We are aware that strong players in the Northern Ireland team who play for prestigious clubs are injured and we will do our best to get a good result.”
O’Neill will begin his second stint accountable for Northern Ireland with a fixture his facet ought to, in no unsure phrases, win, no matter their damage issues.
The 53-year-old laughed when requested in Wednesday’s press convention if San Marino’s document meant they had been due some fortune.
“I can’t think like that,” he mentioned. “It’s the same when you are drawn away in the cup and it’s not an easy tie and you see teams come unstuck.
“That’s the nature of football but you can’t fear it and I’m comfortable going into the game and confident going into any game if the preparation has been good and I have to say the preparation leading into this game has been as good as anything we’ve done.
“I think ideally you probably want a home game to open with but I never think these games are easy. We certainly don’t treat it as if it’s easy. The training has been as intense and as detailed in the last three days as it has ever been.
“We are trying to get a style of playing and a way of playing into a group of players, some of whom are accustomed to it, some of whom are new to it and some of whom have never worked under me either, so there is a lot to cram into two days and tonight. It is a very challenging thing to do.”