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Matchprepared Giacomo Valentini 05.09.2024 SMR 🇸🇲 : LIE 🇱🇮 1-0
Manufacturer: Erreà
Source: Collector (originally from Matchwornshirt.com)
THE TEAM
By now, every football fan should know that San Marino is at the bottom of the FIFA world rankings and is therefore considered the worst national team in the world. Of the 208 matches the national team has played to date, they have only won a single one – a friendly against Liechtenstein in 2004. Yet, the small country has to win a competitive match since joining FIFA 24 years ago!
As the smallest member of FIFA with a population of 35,000 and a team made up almost exclusively of amateurs, it is certainly not possible to make any great leaps against teams such as Spain, France, Germany or England. Nevertheless, the Sammarinese Football Association also works professionally and it can be assumed that “La Serenissima” would have a good chance of winning against small nations from other football associations.
On September 5, 2024, the opportunity to finally record their first official victory presented itself once again. Liechtenstein would be coming to the national stadium in Serravalle, an opponent that is only marginally bigger than San Marino, has been waiting for a win for four years and also represents the only opponent that the Sammarinese have ever defeated. And indeed, after 52 uneventful minutes, 19-year-old Nicko Sensoli managed to put his nation ahead. And for the rest of the game, the Sammarinese defense managed to fend off the Liechtenstein attacks and get their first win over the finish line!
THE SHIRT
I already own a jersey from San Marino's first (unofficial) win against Liechtenstein in 2004. I also already have a jersey from the dwarf state's first ever official game as well as their anniversary jersey in my wardrobe. So the goal was clear: I had to get a jersey from their historic first competitive victory!
And indeed, the worn jerseys from the game were auctioned off at Matchwornshirt.com for horrendous prices. The jersey worn by match winner Nicko Sensoli went under the hammer for USD 7,000! Even floodlights (!) were sold for 100 USD! Fortunately, a collector friend of mine accidentally bought two shirts (thanks to the strange bidding system), so he gave me one in a swap.
For the first time this year, the Sammarinese are wearing a white home shirt. The design by Italian manufacturer Erreà is kept simple and features only a light blue pixel pattern in addition to a lot of white.
The match details for the game are emblazoned below the sewn-on federation badge. The jersey was prepared for defender Giacomo Valentini, who did not play the match. Nevertheless, the jersey has a few stains and a pungent smell of sweat. As videos and pictures after the game show, Valentini wore the jersey on the bench and got it quite dirty while celebrating with his teammates afterwards.
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