National Team: Cevoli and Lazzari size up Belarus

The San Marino National Team will be back in action tomorrow against Belarus, in what will be the last home fixture of the calendar year, before wrapping up their UEFA Nations League commitments on Sunday 15 November in Helsinki.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, head coach Roberto Cevoli and Lorenzo Lazzari shared their thoughts – with the latter having scored the temporary 1-1 equaliser in Tirana in the Titans’ most recent outing. “Our feelings going into this double-header are positive,” begins the 2003-born midfielder, “and we’ll be ready for these two matches. Right now we’re fully focused on Belarus: we want to put in a good performance with the aim of getting a positive result.” Cevoli’s view is very much along the same lines; the coach has welcome back Tommaso Benvenuti and Andrea Contadini, both of whom are returning after a long spell on the sidelines. “The lads have trained well; overall we don’t have any physical issues. Tommaso and Andrea are available again after being out for a long time, and it’s only natural that they are not yet at their best physically and athletically. That said, I’ve found them in a very good place mentally: they are not afraid in the challenge and they are clear-headed, which reassures us that they are truly back. I think they will be able to contribute to our cause in this international window, in which I expect us to improve further. We’re coming off three positive displays, but we want more – we want to add another brick to our project. Based on what we showed against Albania – in both games – and in Budapest against Belarus, we don’t deserve to find ourselves with no points in the table. That’s why we’ll be targeting results in these last two matches.”

All of this comes against the backdrop of key players – in a player pool that is already limited in size – having been forced to withdraw in this first campaign in League C of the UEFA Nations League. While Berardi has not been able to play a single minute, Contadini and Tommaso Benvenuti could make their first appearances either tomorrow or in Helsinki. One certain absentee is Michele Cevoli, who was recently injured, while Giacopetti will serve a one-match suspension tomorrow night. “Every coach hopes to have all potentially selectable players at his disposal, but while it’s undeniable that some have been missing or will continue to be unavailable, in this particular period those who have been called upon to replace them have done so with great maturity. And I like to underline that in every case these have been very young players, who are an important asset for the present and future of this National Team. From my point of view, we have shown that we can hold our own at League C level as well – the quality of San Marino has risen significantly, and our recent performances are proof of that.”

Also under the spotlight is the very proactive approach and the number of scoring chances the Titans are managing to create overall. Roberto Cevoli has played his part in this process, and for some months now he has been working with two out-and-out forwards, supported by quality midfielders. Whether that will be the case tomorrow remains sub iudice, given Giacopetti’s enforced absence: “I have a fairly clear idea of how to set up our front line, but I certainly won’t be sharing it here,” the coach admits with a smile. “In any case, I’m pleased this has become a talking point: these lads have grown enormously in terms of courage when it comes to playing the ball, even in unusual situations, as well as in their desire to put into practice what we work on in training. There’s always a little something missing for us to improve further, and we’ll try to do that starting from tomorrow.” Lazzari is also in agreement regarding this more attacking mindset: “I’m always ready to adapt to what the coach asks of us. That said, I can confirm that compared to the past we are trying much more to keep possession of the ball, and for players with my characteristics – more technical than physical – that can only be a positive.”

Below is the list of the 23 players called up by Roberto Cevoli for Belarus–San Marino, scheduled for tomorrow evening at the San Marino Stadium, kick-off at 20:45. The match will be broadcast live and free-to-air by San Marino RTV (ch. 550 DTT) in Italy and San Marino.