San Marino Under-21s end SEVEN-YEAR losing streak in Euro qualifier – but their run is nowhere near the worst ever
SAN MARINO Under-21s ended a SEVEN-YEAR losing streak last night.
The European minnows went into their clash with Latvia having lost their last 35 matches, dating back to June 2015.
Expectations were obviously low for their Uefa Under-21 Championship qualifier against the Latvians in Serraville.
But the Sammarinese managed to pull off an unlikely upset.
Coached by Italian Matteo Cecchetti, San Marino managed to come away with a spirited 0-0 draw.
The underdogs had lost the reverse fixture 2-0 last year, so managed to grab a crumb of revenge here.
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Their run over the last seven years has included a 7-0 home defeat to Scotland, 6-0 to Germany, 10-0 to Croatia and a pair of 6-0 losses to the Czech Republic.
San Marino Under-21s’ last goal came on November 11, 2017 – when Alessandro D’Addario netted a late consolation effort in a 3-1 defeat to the Czechs.
D’Addario, now 24, has gone on to become a regular for the senior team – having now earned 16 caps.
One excited San Marino fan joked about last night’s game: “Unreal result by San Marino U21. The match against Latvia U21 ended in a 0-0 draw.
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“Our future is brighter than the bald head of Gianni Infantino. Forza Titani!”
San Marino Under-21s’ last draw had come against Estonia in June 2015, when they grabbed a 0-0 stalemate in Haapsalu.
Their last win came in September 2013, when incredibly they beat Wales 1-0.
The Welsh team that day included goalkeeper Danny Ward, who starred for their senior side at Euro 2020 last year.
San Marino remain nine years without a win, but that run isn’t nearly as bad as Andorra’s senior team embarked on between 2004 and 2017.
Following a 1-0 victory over North Macedonia in October 2004, the Andorrans went 86 games without tasting glory.
Their barren run eventually came to an end against San Marino, winning 2-0 in Serraville in a February 2017 friendly.