Titano Cup: Olcese leads La Fiorita comeback as the trophy heads to Montegiardino

The final match of the Sammarinese season is played at the San Marino Stadium and awards the Titano Cup – the oldest football trophy in the Republic. Contesting it are Tre Fiori, fresh from winning the league title, and La Fiorita – already qualified for the Conference League via the league play-offs.

The game is quick to spark into life: in the very first minute Tre Fiori threaten from a set piece, and then break the deadlock roughly 200 seconds later. Credit to Benedettini, who meets Prandelli’s knockdown, drives through the middle and beats Zavoli with a right-footed effort at the near post. La Fiorita reply through Cicarelli, who shoots off target from 20 metres. Gasperoni is far more dangerous as he does everything right on 10 minutes, getting past Nardi but not Rea – who clears off the line, denying the captain of La Fiorita a goal in what is his final match as a player. Shortly afterwards, there’s another huge chance at the other end: Censoni plays in Bernardi, who shoots while off balance and appeals for a penalty. Zavoli saves, and on the subsequent tap-in Benedettini somehow fails to hit the target from close range. From then on, Ceci’s men mount a sustained spell of pressure, culminating in a curling right-footer from Affonso that Nardi saves low down. Tre Fiori are happy to sit in and counter, and in this way they go close to a second through Bernardi around the half-hour mark. A little later, an attempted clearance from a team-mate forces Nardi into a fine reflex save, but there is nothing he can do to prevent the equaliser on 41 minutes. Affonso burns past Pesaresi down the flank and delivers a perfect cross to the far post, where Olcese peels away and connects with an impeccable left-foot volley. Before the interval, Affonso also sets up Zaccaria to shoot from the edge of the box with his right foot – but the effort flies over.

The same 22 players reappear after the restart. La Fiorita show the better approach, threatening first through Dormi – who is off target – before completing the comeback thanks to Emiliano Olcese’s brace. The experienced striker pounces on a dreadful mistake by Pesaresi, rounds Nardi and rolls the ball into the net to give his side the lead. On the hour Sirri tests Zavoli with a well-struck free-kick, but shortly after that La Fiorita further extend their advantage. It’s the 64th minute when Dormi swings in a corner to the near post, where Barretta times his dive perfectly and heads the ball into the far corner. Tre Fiori are now on the ropes and have no choice but to commit men forward: on 69 minutes Bernardi’s driven cross-shot finds the head of Sirri, whose glancing touch drops just wide of the upright. La Fiorita manage the game expertly in the closing stages, rarely allowing any danger as they see out their eighth Titano Cup triumph. As two years ago, it is Olcese who grabs the headlines: his double enables Ceci’s Gialloblù – who finally banishes his hoodoo in this competition, winning it at the third attempt – to add another trophy to their cabinet.

Titano Cup 2026, Final | Tre Fiori-La Fiorita 1-3

TRE FIORI (3-4-1-2)

Nardi; Pesaresi (66’ M. Sancisi), Rea, Sirri; Scarcella (66’ Sensoli), Censoni (54’ Dolcini), Sami (88’ Braschi), Pini (54’ Vandi); Benedettini; Bernardi, Prandelli

Substitutes: Castagnoli, Ciccione, N. Sancisi, Terenzi

Head coach: Danilo Girolomoni

LA FIORITA (4-2-3-1)

Zavoli; Gasperoni, Mazzotti, Barretta, Grandoni; Cicarelli, Djuric; Dormi (66’ Semprini), Zaccaria (74’ Guidi), Affonso; Olcese

Substitutes: Vivan, Lunadei, Nappello, Golia, Toccaceli, Zafferani, Serifoski

Head coach: Stefano Ceci

Referee: William Villa

Assistant referees: Laura Corda, Giuseppe Macaddino

Fourth official: Durim Xhafa

Scorers: 4’ Benedettini, 41’ and 52’ Olcese, 64’ Barretta

Booked: Rea, Affonso, Sirri, Djuric, Guidi, Semprini

Notes: 545 spectators