Cevoli: "For San Marino there is no such thing as a friendly"

“For San Marino there is no such thing as a friendly” – the starting point of the press conference with Roberto Cevoli, Head Coach of the San Marino National Team, who tomorrow will be on duty at the National Stadium in Ta’ Qali to face hosts Malta in an official friendly (kick-off 21:00 – live on San Marino RTV and web radio on Titani.tv).

“Malta are a physical, high-intensity side with good qualities. I expect a proud reaction after the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina which – while certainly positive in terms of performance – cannot leave us satisfied when you look at the scoreline. We will need a display of character; at international level nobody gives you anything: the lads will approach this fixture with the right focus and the competitive edge that is required. The hope is to continue delivering performances of increasing quality, while also seeking a positive result, because that too is an important aspect for us”.

He turned 27 on the day of the team’s trip to Malta, Marcello Mularoni. The San Marino midfielder reached the milestone of 50 caps for the National Team last Saturday against Bosnia and Herzegovina and tomorrow is in contention for a starting place in the white-and-blue midfield. “It will be an intense match, one in which we will have to expend a lot of physical energy to keep our shape and give continuity to the principles we are developing, even in games against top-level national teams. There have been improvements in recent months and we must make sure we confirm them against Malta, especially in the wake of the last outing with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Chasing a result? If a chance comes our way we have to be ready and take it, whether it’s against Malta or Bosnia. Naturally, that will also depend on how the match goes and on our performance: we will need to be good at approaching it in the right way, also because, for us, there is no such thing as a friendly”.

Below are the official call-ups named by Head Coach Roberto Cevoli for Malta v San Marino: