San Marino v Iceland for the first time: Costantini and Grandoni speak

Third match in eight days for the San Marino National Team, who tomorrow will face Iceland in a friendly before diving back into UEFA Nations League action with the away fixture in Malta (12 June 2022, 20:45 – live on San Marino RTV Sport). Some changes to the starting line-up are inevitable, but Costantini is clear that thoughts are not already on Sunday’s game: "Tomorrow evening we will definitely see some changes, which will also involve some of our main players, but the San Marino National Team cannot and does not want to allow itself to take any match lightly. That is not who we are: I am fortunate to be able to count on a balanced squad that has always provided excellent answers from all its members, from those who start to those who come off the bench". Sharing this view is Andrea Grandoni, the left-sided player who has recently passed the 30-cap mark in the Biancazzurro shirt. Asked specifically about San Marino’s approach in light of two particularly disappointing episodes in the last games – the disallowed goal and the penalty not awarded, by Estonia and then VAR respectively – he left no doubt: "We will have the same approach and attitude that we showed against Estonia and Malta. Clearly, those setbacks still sting and we are fortunate to be able to play again straight away and try to put things right. Iceland are an excellent side, very strong athletically and physically. So we will try to push up, press them as much as possible and avoid getting pinned back. Set pieces are a weapon they know how to use very well, and we will have to try to deny them those types of opportunities. In short, we will need to reproduce on the pitch the same level of performance we delivered against Estonia and Malta, regardless of the fact that this is a friendly. For us there is only the San Marino National Team, and there is no difference between friendlies, the Nations League or qualifying for the Euros and the World Cup". Asked about the congested fixture list, with only a few days to recover between matches, Costantini comments: "This run of games is extremely demanding. It is for everyone and perhaps a little more so for us, because – as everyone knows – our team is made up for the most part of amateur players. Nevertheless, I am very pleased with the way the group has responded: even against Malta we changed four players compared to the game in Tallinn, yet the performance was of the highest level. In all likelihood tomorrow we will again see four or five changes among the starters, and not only because on Sunday we have the trip to Malta. Every match is important for us and must be honoured down to the last drop of sweat: we always care about doing well".

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