Calcio Estate: Filippo Berardi wins the Crystal Ball, Tre Fiori claim Golden Bench and Koppe Trophy

Exactly as last year, the 2026 edition of Calcio Estate – the event devoted to the standout individual performers of the football season just concluded – opened with the futsal awards. Presenting the prizes for best coach, best Under-23 and overall best player – the latter once again coinciding with the top scorer award – was Federal Councillor Luca Albani, who is responsible for the futsal area. There was little doubt that Murata, the side that dominated the entire season of the small-sided game – from only just missing out on progressing in the UEFA Futsal Champions League to completing a domestic treble – would take centre stage. In black-and-white colours are the Golden Bench, earned for the fifth time in his career by Massimiliano Spada (a record in this respect), and the Golden Bombardino and Futsal Best Player awards, both collected by a single player, Danilo Busignani, who repeated last year’s double and was able to drive Murata, thanks also to his goals (48 in the league and 7 in the Titano Futsal Cup), to win every title on offer since last summer, before bidding farewell to the City side to join Pennarossa. Busignani has now amassed a fifth Bombardino in just six years, and a fifth Futsal Best Player over a longer period. Murata’s dominance – at least when it comes to the Calcio Estate awards – is not absolute, because the Futsal Talent prize goes to a Virtus player, from the team that tried to challenge the Bianconeri for both the Futsal Cup and the title: Gabriele Dolcini was named best Under-23 of the season.

After the futsal awards, the focus switches to the refereeing world. Here, the prizes are handed out by Federal Councillor Gianluca Angelini. To begin with, the fil rouge of futsal is maintained, because the first ASA-selected award is the Futsal Golden Whistle, deservedly claimed by international referee Laurentiu Ilie. The Golden Whistle for 11-a-side football also goes to a FIFA referee: Michele Beltrano. The Golden Flag is instead awarded to Giuseppe Marco Macaddino. It then falls to Federal Councillor Luca Nanni to present the prizes assigned via an online poll. The “people’s jury” crowned the wonderful strike by Giacomo Zaccaria (La Fiorita) in Folgore – La Fiorita (Matchday 24) as the goal of the season, while the most acclaimed save was the incredible reflex stop by Alberto Gallinetta (Cailungo) in Cailungo – Juvenes Dogana (Matchday 4).

No polls but a simple arithmetic calculation was needed to assign the Golden Bombardino of the Campionato Sammarinese, which went to Mr 28-goals, Matthias Bonetti, who wore the Domagnano shirt in 2025-26 but recently moved to La Fiorita, with whom he also played in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers. The title-winning Tre Fiori were never going to be left out of the Calcio Estate awards. Marseljan Mema collects the Golden Bombardino of the Coppa Titano, earned with his 4 goals in the competition. The Career Oscar presentation was preceded by a moving tribute from the audience to several key figures of San Marino football who have passed away in recent times: most recently Silvano Zonzini and Marino Righi, joined in remembrance by Romeo Casadei and Giancarlo Mularoni. The aforementioned Career Oscar goes to Paolo Zanotti, one of the most active and longest-serving officials at La Fiorita. It is Federal Councillor Filippo Bronzetti who presents to Daniele Dei, Juvenes Dogana press officer and the driving force behind the Brigata Mai 1 Gioia supporters’ group, the Communication Award. This is followed by the Duilio Felici Award, reserved for the fairest coach, which for the 2025-26 season goes to Murata’s Antonello Mancini.

Pierangelo Manzaroli is the Federal Councillor tasked with handing out the prizes linked to the San Marino Academy. The Top Woman award goes to Sara Tamborini, one of the standout performers for the Women’s First Team and the most productive Titana overall in terms of goals scored (4) and assists provided (7) in the last Serie B campaign. Tamborini will continue to wear the white and light blue next season, as will young Cristina Carli, a Primavera player often involved with the First Team, for whom she made her debut at the end of the season. The 2008-born player – an integral part of the newly formed San Marino women’s senior national team – receives the Top Girl award. The San Marino Academy segment concludes with recognition for the best coach from within the white-and-light-blue ranks. Davide Nicolini, coach of the National Under-17 side, is named San Marino Academy Best Coach 2026.

Afterwards, attention returns to the Campionato Sammarinese. La Fiorita’s Joao Affonso wins the Assist Award thanks to his 12 assists in the league, added to 3 more in the Coppa Titano. FSGC Vice President Simone Grana presents not only this award to Affonso but also the Golden Boy prize to Nicolas Giacopetti, whose name, in the recent past, has been linked to his three goals for the National Team against Romania, Faroe Islands and Bangladesh – all scored within the space of just four matches. FSGC General Secretary Luigi Zafferani then comes on stage to present the Golden Bench, earned by Danilo Girolomoni for Tre Fiori’s outstanding season, crowned by the league title. After the Champions League preliminary round, Girolomoni already has another European assignment in his diary: the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round, scheduled between 6 and 13 August. These commitments will be shared with Matteo Prandelli, twice winner in the past of the Golden Bombardino and this time the recipient of the Koppe Trophy for the best foreign player. The awards ceremony concludes with the most eagerly awaited recognition of all, the Crystal Ball, reserved for the best player of San Marino nationality or residence. Receiving it from FSGC President Marco Tura is Filippo Berardi, who last season played for Tre Penne and has recently joined La Fiorita.