La Fiorita champions: Sammarinese duo Rinaldi and Pancotti seal the title

La Fiorita and Tre Penne meet again in the title-deciding final three years on from their most recent showdown, when the side from Città prevailed after extra time (3-1 a.e.t.) on the Montecchio artificial turf. Today it is the San Marino Stadium hosting the biggest and most eagerly awaited clash of the year, bringing the Sammarinese football season to a close by crowning the new national champions, who will go straight into the UEFA Champions League Preliminary Round, to be played in Iceland from 21 to 24 June. Ceci confirms ten of the eleven who overturned Tre Fiori in the second leg of the semi-finals, preferring Sammarinese player Cesarini to Sartori. The other homegrown players in the starting line-up are Ceccaroli and Michael Battistini. For La Fiorita, the Sammarinese starters are Grandoni and Rinaldi, while the changes from their latest outing are Miori and Amati, who come in for the suspended Gasperoni and for Lunadei respectively. As might have been expected, the stakes involved produce a cautious, tactical opening, during which Tre Penne are the more enterprising. After a couple of harmless efforts from Badalassi, answered by a shot-cross from Guidi that is cleared by the opposing back line, the Biancazzurri set up camp in the attacking third. A knockdown from Chiurato on 9 minutes and a deflected shot-cross from Ceccaroli highlight Roberto Di Maio’s ability to be in the right place at the right time. Then Montegiardino break the deadlock with their first real chance: Zulli gets to the byline on the right and delivers a cross that Rinaldi meets ahead of his marker to turn in from close range. In almost identical fashion, the runners-up nearly double their lead in the 19th minute, but Guidi cannot sort his feet out for the decisive touch to yet another piece of invention from Zulli. Tre Penne now seem to have lost their shape, especially in midfield. La Fiorita’s ball-players combine superbly and midway through the half the Gialloblù fashion a glorious chance for 2-0, which Rinaldi fails to convert, sending a header wide from a perfect cross by Grandoni. Ceci’s men try to shake off some tension thanks to a driving run by Cesarini, who sits Guidi down before laying the ball off on the edge of the area for Righini: his first-time left-footed effort forces Vivan to tip behind for a corner. La Fiorita have a slice of luck on the half-hour when Vivan misjudges a cross from Vandi: the ball just evades Righini in the ensuing scramble, before Di Maio clears. In the closing stages of the half, Tre Penne regain control of proceedings, but La Fiorita defend with organisation and discipline. Battistini fails to find a wonder strike from distance, while Grandoni shoots tamely with his right foot after a fine La Fiorita counter-attack initiated by Rinaldi and Guidi. Tre Penne, meanwhile, lack precision in the final third; in the 44th minute they win the ball back in their opponents’ half but cannot work a shot at goal. The last Gialloblù surge is more dangerous, an insistent move freeing Zulli in the heart of the box: he aims a right-footed effort for the far corner, and Migani has to fully stretch his frame to turn it away, preventing a second goal that looked all but certain on the stroke of half-time. There are no changes at the break, but the second half produces instant thrills. It begins with a Chiurato knockdown for Badalassi, who is just about thwarted by a crucial challenge from Brighi on the edge of the six-yard box. At the other end, there is a stunning coast-to-coast run from Miori, who drives through to the centre of the area before unleashing a left-footed effort that brings out the best in Migani. La Fiorita are now able to sit deep and play on the break, while Tre Penne steadily crank up the pressure, going close through Ceccaroli, who is beaten to the ball by a hesitant Vivan coming off his line. Shortly after the hour, Righini tries his luck with an inswinging free-kick, punched clear by the opposing keeper, then Ceccaroli picks out Genestreti in the area, but the defender’s touch is off target. The match is halted for a mandatory stoppage in the 68th minute, as the medical staff of both teams attend to Zafferani and Gai after an accidental but heavy collision in which Gai comes off worse, forcing Ceci into a substitution as Cibelli comes on. The substitute slots in on the right flank and, in the 74th minute, delivers a fine cross for Badalassi, whose header flashes just wide. La Fiorita are now camped in their own half, with Tre Penne searching for the right key to unlock the season’s meanest defence. It does not come from Vandi’s falling left-footed effort, which is on target but dealt with by Vivan. At the other end there is work for Migani, who comfortably gathers a shot from Zulli that is too central – the forward does well to engineer space on the edge of the box, but his finish lacks accuracy. The closing stages are understandably tense and nervy, with the La Fiorita bench losing its cool after failing to complete a double substitution in the 83rd minute: Pancotti replaces Loiodice, but play restarts before Sanchez can enter. As it was the third substitution window, Sanchez can no longer come on unless the game goes to extra time. For the defender’s delight, there will be no need: in the 89th minute Rinaldi breaks clear on his own and goes one-on-one with Migani, who again pulls off a superb save. However, Pancotti is up in support of the move, collects the loose ball on the edge of the box and drills it past the Rimini-born keeper to make it 2-0. Shortly afterwards a foul by Lombardi on Rinaldi sparks a confrontation, in which Rinaldi is sent off, presumably for dissent. Tre Penne are given six minutes of added time to chase a monumental comeback, but Ceci’s men cannot pull it off: La Fiorita avenge the 2019 defeat and once again lift the Scudetto to the sky of Serravalle, a year on from their extra-time loss to Folgore. Meanwhile, yesterday evening in Acquaviva saw the third-place play-off between Pennarossa and Tre Fiori. With European qualification no longer at stake following Borgagni’s side’s failure to reach the final – they will take part in the next UEFA Europa Conference League by virtue of their Coppa Titano triumph – the game lacked its usual continental implications. The Gialloblù secured the lowest step on the podium thanks to a goal in each half: Della Valle and Gjurchinoski both on target. Down to ten men from the 85th minute after a red card shown to Mantovani, Pennarossa pulled one back deep into stoppage time with a wonderful strike from Tiboni.  

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LA FIORITA Vivan; Miori, Brighi, Di Maio, Grandoni; Amati, Errico (from 77' Lunadei), Loiodice (from 83' Pancotti); Zulli, Rinaldi, Guidi (from 64' Zafferani) Substitutes: Venturini, Sanchez, Gregori, Santi Coach: Oscar Lasagni   TRE PENNE Migani; Cesarini (from 65' Sartori), Lombardi, Genestreti (from 86' Cauterucci), Vandi; Battistini; Badalassi, Righini, Gai (from 71' Cibelli), Ceccaroli (from 86' M. Semprini); Chiurato Substitutes: Zambetti, Zonzini, P. Semprini Coach: Stefano Ceci   Referee: Mattia Andruccioli Assistants: Gianmarco Ercolani and Laura Cordani Fourth official: Giacomo Cenci Scorers: 11' Rinaldi, 89' Pancotti Booked: Ceccaroli, Guidi, Cauterucci, Lombardi, Vandi Sent off: Rinaldi Note: 529 spectators.  

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PENNAROSSA Semprini (from 68' Landi), Mantovani, Martin, Zago (from 46' Ottaviani), Baldani, D. Conti (from 17' Cola, from 68' De Biagi), Rastelli, Isaraj, Tiboni, Dema, Halilaj (from 68' Ciacci) Substitutes: Sebastiani, A. Conti Coach: Andy Selva   TRE FIORI A. Simoncini (from 46' Castagnoli), Gjurchinoski, Cuzzilla, Astolfi, De Lucia, Della Valle, Censoni, De Falco (from 59' Ramundo), Corinti (from 75' D'Addario), Pracucci (from 39' Ciccione), Dolcini (from 75' Ronci) Substitutes: Savastano, Adami Martins Coach: Gian Luca Borgagni   Referee: Luca Zani Assistants: Francesco Mineo and Leonardo Battista Fourth official: Andrea Piccoli Scorers: 20' Della Valle, 85' Gjurchinoski, 90'+1' Tiboni Booked: Censoni, Ramundo, Ciccione, Isaraj Sent off: Mantovani  

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