Futsal: Fiorentino and Folgore preview the Scudetto final

For the fifth consecutive time it will be Fiorentino and Folgore going head-to-head for a Sammarinese futsal title. And this time, it’s the title everyone wants the most. The final act in the race for the 2023-24 Scudetto carries more than one meaning, in addition to the prestige of being crowned champions of the Titano and earning a place in the next Champions League. On the Fiorentino side, there is a double defeat to make up for – the Super Cup and Titano Futsal Cup finals – setbacks that cannot have failed to leave their mark on a team so used to lifting trophies. On the Folgore side, the focus is firmly on a potential seasonal treble. Regardless of the most recent results, what is certain is that both teams know exactly how to handle a final. “Our path has been straightforward – says Matteo Michelotti, Fiorentino head coach – We were always at the top of the table and we won the regular season, but that counts for little now. The final is a different story: it’s a one-off match that doesn’t take into account what you’ve done before. Of course, the journey helps you build a certain mentality, but the final has its own unique story.” A view not at all dissimilar is that of his opposite number, Claudio Zonzini: “We were always forced to chase during the regular season. We gave everything to reach the top, without succeeding. But it’s relatively unimportant, as Matteo says. Our play-off run has been more tortuous. Virtus and Murata caused us problems and we had to expend a bit more energy than Fiorentino. But now everything is reset.” More than determined to defend the title won last year is Danilo Busignani, who joined the pre-final press conference panel alongside the two coaches and Folgore captain Massimiliano Bernardi. “Fiorentino are starting again from the same core group they’ve always had – explains the versatile Rossoblù and national team player – We’ve changed very little this year. It’s true that Moretti and Ercolani were two important pieces, but we’ve shown, including in the cup final, that we have players capable of competing for a title. We’re facing Folgore again, a side with an excellent squad who have also shown a winning mentality. But in that respect, we’re there too. We’re going into this game to win it, not just to take part, hoping to break this run of lost finals which we don’t like at all.” Bernardi, for his part, focuses on Folgore’s recent exertions: “In these play-offs we’ve faced strong, well-organised teams. We had to dig deep, drawing immediately with Virtus but going into the second leg with the belief that we would win. We needed to step up a gear and we did it. Against Murata there were two slightly strange draws, but what matters is that we showed we deserve to be in this new final.” The squads are the real strength of both Zonzini and Michelotti. Still, it is only natural to mention a few individuals: both for the impact they have had in the key moments of the season and for the physical recovery of some of them. “Juri Biordi started this futsal adventure almost as a personal experiment – recalls Zonzini – First of all he just wanted to give it a try, then gradually he became passionate about it and integrated perfectly into the group and into the demands of this sport. He has great technical and physical qualities. He has loosened up more and more and made huge improvements. In the cup final he was the extra weapon that allowed us to get back into the game, also because at a certain point we really didn’t know how to break down Fiorentino’s perfect defence. Then he confirmed himself in the play-offs as well. He has a winning mentality: he is someone who hates losing, and in that he is perfectly in tune with his team-mates. Clearly we don’t base everything on him because we have other very strong players in the squad, but he can certainly be a key factor again in the Scudetto final.” “These lads have now been working non-stop for two years – Michelotti notes – At certain times the energy levels unfortunately dipped when they shouldn’t have, but you also have to take into account the huge effort required with the national team. Right now everyone is fine. We’ve fully recovered Cevoli, Maiani and also Zafferani, who had the flu in the cup final. And in any case, when you reach a final you feel good almost by definition. It’s the last match of the year, the most important one, and you simply have to grit your teeth and give everything. If you don’t, you don’t deserve it. The main thing is that once they step onto the court, the boys do what they know how to do, enjoy themselves and give their all. And let’s hope it doesn’t go to penalties.” Busignani has a clear idea of the recipe for achieving the goal tomorrow: “There isn’t a single attitude or expression in this team that I don’t like or haven’t liked. I see in my team-mates a huge desire for revenge. The best attitude is the one I’ve seen from the start of the play-offs onwards. I’ve never had the feeling that we would be outplayed by an opponent or lose a match. Even the semi-final with Tre Fiori was not as straightforward as the aggregate score might suggest. We’re talking about a side that has competed with everyone throughout the year. A tough team with quality. We did well to steer the tie in the right direction straight away. And that’s the path we need to follow in the final as well. In the cup we saw that if you switch off for a few minutes, you pay the price. We were perfect for three-quarters of the game and in the end we conceded twice. We need to be perfect all the time.” Not at his best physically in the cup final, where he was used somewhat sparingly, Max Bernardi has recovered and is ready to give his full contribution to Folgore in the chase for this treble: “I had an issue under my thigh that we still haven’t fully clarified. In any case, I felt I wasn’t able to give everything and it was right that my team-mates had more time on court, also because, playing with a knock, I risked making mistakes and putting the team in difficulty. Now, though, I’ve recovered: the play-offs went very well and now we’re targeting victory. And I too hope it doesn’t go to penalties: it’s true we won, but it’s not a situation I like. That’s a lottery and I want to decide it in a different way.” The appointment is for tomorrow evening at the Multieventi Sport Domus. The final that will award the trophy of the 18th Sammarinese Futsal Championship will be preceded by the 3rd place play-off between Tre Fiori and Murata, scheduled for 20:00. Lorenzo Burioni (Tre Fiori) and Matteo Moretti (Murata) will miss out through suspension. Fiorentino and Folgore will battle it out from 21:45, with the possibility of a slight delay should the previous match go beyond normal time. The Scudetto final will be broadcast live on San Marino RTV and on the Titani.TV platform, at the following address: https://www.titani.tv/livestream/167022. As for access to the Multieventi, stewards will monitor entry to the stands, checking – in accordance with the venue regulations – that the limit of 400 people is respected. Once this threshold is exceeded, additional spectators will be able to go up to the upper floor and follow the match from behind the glass. Finally, please note that for the above-mentioned matches, the regulations concerning prohibited items, such as glass bottles, will apply. Anyone in possession of such items will not be allowed access to the stands. Admission to both matches will be completely free of charge.

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