San Marino manager Roberto Cevoli says his side “deserve what they’ve managed to achieve” after getting promoted to Nations League C with their first ever away win.
The world’s bottom-ranked team won for just the third time in their history as they beat Liechtenstein 3-1 away from home in their final Nations League match on Monday.
They had previously waited 20 years for an international victory when they beat the same opponent in September and after celebrating their second triumph within the space of a few months, they will now play in the third tier of the Nations League.
It was also the first time San Marino have scored more than once in a competitive match as second-half goals from Lorenzo Lazzari, Nicola Nanni and Alessandro Golinucci secured the victory after Aron Sele’s opener in the first half.
“Finishing that first half 1-0 down was an insult to football, but the boys were brilliant and deserved what they’ve managed to achieve,” said Cevoli.
FINAL DEL PARTIDO
🇱🇮 LIECHTENSTEIN 1-3 SAN MARINO 🇸🇲
LOS MUCHACHOS HAN JUGADO EL PARTIDO DE SU VIDA, GOLEAMOS EN EL CLÁSICO, GANAMOS POR PRIMERA VEZ EN LA HISTORIA DE VISITANTE Y ASCENDIMOS A LA LIGA C DE LA NATIONS LEAGUE 🏆
GRACIAS TOTALES, TE AMO SAN MARINO 🇸🇲 pic.twitter.com/g4FtVFsYmZ
— San Marino Fútbol 🇸🇲 (@SanMarinoTeam) November 18, 2024
The 210th-ranked minnows have lost 199 of the 211 fixtures they have contested, conceding 10 or more goals in seven games.
Cevoli, who had managerial career in Italy’s lower divisions before taking up the San Marino role in December 2023, has now led them to two wins in 10 international matches.
President of San Marino’s football federation Marco Tura added: “These boys made history tonight.
“As people, as athletes, as men, they have shown what they are worth. I cried with the boys.”
