Calcio Estate 2022, shortlists for individual awards confirmed

Just one weekend separates us from the return of Calcio Estate: the 2022 edition of the event organised by the San Marino Football Federation and dedicated to clubs, players, coaches and referees who have stood out over an intense and exciting season will be back on Monday 11 July – starting at 19:00. Over the course of the evening as many as eighteen awards will be handed out, ranging from youth football to senior football, and also covering futsal and women’s football. Referees, coaches and club officials will also take to the stage of the Press Room at San Marino Stadium, the ideal setting from which to celebrate the commitment, sacrifice, results and efforts of the main protagonists of San Marino football – who are already working towards the new season. A Technical Committee, representing the Press Office of the San Marino Football Federation, the Associazione Sammarinese Stampa Sportiva and San Marino RTV, has drawn up the shortlists for the various individual awards. There is great anticipation and excitement to discover the award-winners for the 2021-22 season, starting with the Crystal Ball. Three players are in contention for the trophy reserved for the best Sammarinese footballer or player resident in the country: Danilo Rinaldi (La Fiorita), Roberto Di Maio (who ended his spell at La Fiorita by winning the league title) and Alessandro D'Addario (who moved from Tre Fiori to Cosmos in recent weeks). Of a similar nature, but aimed at "foreign" players – including Italian players resident outside San Marino – is the Koppe Trophy. Battling for the title are Bojan Gjurchinoski (Tre Fiori), Alessandro Semprini (Pennarossa, who has recently joined Tre Fiori) and Mohammed Ben Kacem (a key man for Fiorentino before signing for Pennarossa for next season). In line with the seasonal performances of their respective clubs, the nominations for the best coach award have been announced: Andy Selva (Pennarossa, now at Tre Fiori), Gian Luca Borgagni (formerly Tre Fiori) and Oscar Lasagni (La Fiorita) will compete for the Golden Bench. The best Sammarinese U23 footballer will instead be chosen from Nicola Nanni (Lucchese), Elia Ciacci (Virtus) and Samuel Pancotti (Victor San Marino/La Fiorita): one of them will claim the Golden Boy award. Similarly, in futsal three contenders have been identified for each category. Starting with the Golden Bench, for which the nominees are Luca Pollini (Virtus), Alex Bugli (Tre Fiori) and Massimiliano Spada (Folgore). It is no surprise that many of the candidates come from the Falciano-based club, given the perfect season enjoyed by the Giallorossoneri. Three team-mates, in fact, are in the running for Futsal Best Player: the best futsal player of the year will be one of Massimiliano Bernardi, Danilo Busignani or Mattia Protti. The shortlist for Futsal Talent is more varied: among the U23 candidates we find Lorenzo Cecchini (Domagnano), Matteo Chezzi (Folgore) and Matteo Moretti (Fiorentino). Category awards will also be reserved for the refereeing sector, with the Referees’ Committee involved in selecting the winners of the Golden Whistle (best 11-a-side football referee), the Golden Flag (best assistant referee) and the Futsal Golden Whistle (best futsal referee) for the 2021-22 season. There will, of course, also be a deserved tribute to Sammarinese clubs and their directors, without whose efforts and passion football activity in the country would not be possible. Although it will appear in the roll of honour as an individual prize, the Lifetime Achievement Oscar – presented to a club director who has devoted years of service to Sammarinese football – is, as always, intended to highlight the indispensable contribution of those who are, in effect, the driving force of our sporting system at every level. Along similar lines is the Communication Award, which over the years has merged two separate honours (Communication Award and Golden Pen). The winner will be one of Axel Paderni (San Marino Web TV), Giacomo Santi (Folgore, press officer) or Simon Pietro Tura (Virtus, press officer), with the prize reserved for those who have distinguished themselves in promoting football activities inside and outside the borders of the Republic of San Marino. While some awards derive from painstaking evaluation by the Technical Committee, others will celebrate the prolific goalscoring of two strikers in the football and futsal seasons. A visit to the FSGC website is enough to see that the Golden Bombardino and Futsal Golden Bombardino will go to Imre Badalassi (26 goals for Tre Penne) and Danilo Busignani (48 goals for Folgore, who celebrated a Sammarinese futsal double) respectively. Staying on the subject of goals, during Calcio Estate the Best Goal will also be announced, chosen from those voted on weekly on the San Marino RTV website – within the Tele Stadio programme – over the thirty matchdays of the 2021-22 Campionato Sammarinese. This award, in collaboration with the state broadcaster, is based on a weighted average between the popular vote and the technical vote of the commentators who covered the season in full. As has been the case for many years, plenty of space will be devoted to the San Marino Academy. And this year, even in the nominations for the three dedicated awards, a distinctly feminine edition is in store. Indeed, in addition to the sector awards for the best youth and senior women players, the more recent San Marino Academy Best Coach award will also feature coaches from the women’s section among the nominees. While acknowledging strong results in the boys’ youth sector as well, the Technical Committee could not overlook the excellent seasons enjoyed by the Primavera (Scudetto play-offs, for the first time in the club’s history), the Under-15s (qualification for the Inter-regional phase of the league) and the Women’s Futsal team (securing safety in Serie A2, the second tier of Italian women’s futsal). Accordingly, the respective candidates for the awards will be Matteo Urbinati, Giacomo Piva and Roberto Pini. In the women’s players’ section, the Top Lady (youth) award will go to one of Elisa Terenzi (U15), Marianna Buldrini Pasquini (U17) or Swami Giuliani (Primavera). At senior level, the Top Woman award will be contested by Ilaria Giorgi (Futsal), Sofieke Jansen and Viola Brambilla (women’s Serie B football).

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