Respect Cup 2026: Azzurra team claim the title

With its usual overwhelming enthusiasm, the Respect Cup returned to light up San Marino Stadium for the 2026 edition as well – bringing together, in five teams, the boys and girls involved in their final season in the Grassroots Youth Sector. Next summer the doors of the San Marino Academy will open for them, once they have completed the current campaign with a final Under-12 San Marino Championship. A total of 73 players took part in the Qualifying matches (played on 31 March) and in the Final Stages (staged last Tuesday, 14 April).

At the end of the first phase, in which the Bianca, Azzurra, Rossa, Gialla and Blu teams faced each other in a single round-robin, it was Bianca – coached by Macina and Amati – who finished top with three wins and one draw. That result allowed them to book a direct place in the three‑team final group that would decide the title last Tuesday. Right behind them came Azzurra with eight points, followed in the standings by Rossa (5), Gialla (3) and Blu (1).

Nothing was settled yet, however, as the Final Stages were structured so that every side was still in contention for the trophy. Indeed, it was the Blu team who advanced to challenge Azzurra for the cup. This was because the boys and girls exceptionally led on the bench by the duo Fantini-Fabbri won their semi-final against Rossa (2-0, a Khalifa brace) before defeating Bianca in the final three‑team group (1-0, Khalifa) that had the title at stake. The other semi-final pitted Azzurra against Gialla: the clear win for the former (5-0 with goals from Frisoni, Urbinati, Sacchetti and a Fantini double) sent the side coached by Sartori, Borgagni, Bizzotto and Semprini into the final group. Team Gialla, led by Celli and Rizzo, instead met Rossa to determine fourth and fifth place. The final score rewarded the latter, coached by Del Mastro, De Luca and Lotti, with a 4-1 success (a Fiore brace, plus Esposito and Gorini on target, while Sartini scored for Gialla). The key match turned out to be Azzurra-Blu because Bianca – after drawing 1-1 with Azzurra (Bianchi, Fantini) – were then upset, as mentioned above, by Blu. The decisive encounter for the trophy went Azzurra’s way, as they ran out 3-1 winners (goals from Fantini, Baciocchi and Gasperoni, with the ever-dangerous Khalifa replying for Blu).