San Marino’s “Titani” chase historic promotion in UEFA Nations League after first victory in 20 years

Losing is a fact of life for athletes. Regardless of age, skill level or talent, an athlete is bound to suffer at least one defeat in their career. Losing rarely defines the identity of a team, but for the "Titani" - San Marino’s Men’s National Football Team - it was a fact of life for more than 20 years.

Yes, the boys in sky blue and white went an astonishing 140 matches without a single win.

There were moments of brilliance and near triumph in between defeats, but the Titani earned a reputation as one of the world’s worst national teams. Even their most steadfast supporters, the "Brigata Mai 1 Gioia," which translates to the “Never Any Joy Brigade,” were keenly aware of the team’s unfortunate losing streak.

Nevertheless, years of heartbreak, anguish and dimming hope were ceremoniously dismissed by midfielder Nicko Sensoli, when he scored the winning goal in San Marino’s match against Liechtenstein at Stadio Olimpico in Serravalle, San Marino on 5 September.

The victory made headlines around the world and brought a sense of undeniable joy to the small nation located entirely inside Italy. It was a feeling the team, their fellow countrymen and supporters around the world hadn’t felt in years. However, one lingering question remained: could the Titani taste victory once more this season?

Never any joy: the origins of San Marino’s infamous losing streak

San Marino became a member of both UEFA and FIFA in 1988. The Titani played their first-ever international match against Switzerland on 14 November 1990, losing 0-4 in front of a home crowd. The team’s unceremonious foray into international football would continue for nearly three years, until the Tatani held Turkey to a 0-0 draw on 10 March 1993.

It would be another decade before the Titani secured their first-ever international victory, defeating Liechtenstein 1-0 on 28 April 2004. At the time, players and fans would have likely laughed off the idea of waiting 20 years for their next victory, but football can be a fickle game.

The Titani followed up their historic victory with 61 consecutive defeats, before finally earning a 0-0 draw against Estonia on 15 November 2014. Was victory finally in sight once more? The answer to that question was no.

The losing streak would pass 100 matches, then 120 matches, and finally 135 matches. There were faint glimpses of hope along the way - a pair of draws with Liechtenstein and Gibraltar in 2020, an encouraging series of friendlies with Saint Lucia in 2022 - but no joy was felt by players or fans of the Titani.

San Marino was the worst national team in the world - officially. They entered the year ranked 210th (last place) in the FIFA world rankings.

A new coach and young talent bring hope to San Marino

The San Marino Football Federation (FSGC) appointed Roberto Cevoli, an Italian-born footballer with personal and sporting links to the small nation, as manager of the men’s national team at the start of the year.

"I want to dream with no limits," Cevoli told the BBC. "I am fully aware of the troubles the national team has to overcome differently from other national teams, but I hope to continue the progress the team has shown.”

His short time at the helm saw many roster changes, including the debut of promising young players like Nicko Sensoli.

There was a real buzz in the air amongst supporters of the team that victory might be within the grasp of the Titani at the start of the year. A pair of friendly matches against Saint Kitts and Nevis caught the attention of football fans far and wide, but victory evaded the Titani once more.

While the boys in sky blue and white suffered further defeats against Slovakia and Cyprus in June, extending their losing streak to 140 matches, the ever-familiar faint glimmer of hope began to take root within the steadfast supporters of San Marino’s national team, as a UEFA Nations League match against Liechtenstein loomed on the horizon.

Was victory possible for the Titani, or would it be yet another heartbreaking loss to extend the infamous losing streak?

Nicko Sensoli delivers long-awaited joy at Stadio Olimpico

Joy was going to be the theme of the UEFA Nations League D match between Liechtenstein and San Marino, regardless of the outcome.

Liechtenstein arrived at the match with an active losing streak of 39 matches, while a few players on San Marino’s team hadn't even been born the last time the team won an international match. Still, local and far-flung members of the “Never Any Joy Brigade” flocked to Stadio Olimpico in Serravalle, San Marino with hopes of witnessing the rarest of wins for the Titani.

Their hopes were nearly dashed in the first half, when Liechtenstein’s Fabio Luque Notaro found the back of the net. Fortunately, at least in the view of the Sammarinese faithful, the goal was disallowed after an offside ruling by VAR.

The first half would conclude with both teams tied at 0-0. San Marino was given a second chance at victory, and Nicko Sensoli wasn’t about to squander it.

A few minutes into the second half, the 19-year-old charged towards a poorly defended ball, and poked a goal past Liechtenstein's goalkeeper. His teammates greeted him with a warm embrace after the goal, and fought hard to maintain the lead his strike created. When the final whistle sounded, cheers echoed around the Stadio Olimpico, as joy returned to San Marino at long last.

"It’s not easy to hold back your emotions, I still feel on top of the world,” Sensoli told FIFA.

"A lot of the more experienced players in the team have dreamt of this moment for many years,” explained the newly minted national hero. “Some of them are coming to the end of their careers and to achieve something like this can only bring them joy and happiness. It’s why I’m so passionate. We all deserved to be a part of this moment.”

For the first time in 20 years, the world’s worst national team felt like they were on top of the world.

San Marino chase second UEFA Nations League D win

The Titani’s victory streak would last a mere five days, with the boys in sky blue and white suffering a 0-1 defeat by Moldova on 10 September. Nonetheless, the prospect of promotion in the UEFA Nations League remains a strong motivator for San Marino.

Grouped with Liechtenstein and Gibraltar in League D of the UEFA Nations League, San Marino will play each nation twice - once at home, and once away. The Titani will need to finish first atop the group standings to guarantee promotion to League C. However, a second place finish might also be enough to secure promotion, provided the Titani win a home-and-away playoff against one of the two best ranked fourth placed teams in League C.

San Marino’s win over Liechtenstein catapulted them to the top standings in Group D1, with Liechtenstein and Gibraltar playing out a 2-2 draw in the second match of the group.

The Titani will attempt to hold their lead in the rankings as they face Gibraltar on 10 October at Europa Point Stadium in Gibraltar.

On paper, Gibraltar is the slight favourite. They lead the head-to-head statistics, with one win and one draw against San Marino during the 2020-2021 UEFA Nations League. Of course, San Marino has already proven they aren’t a team to be taken lightly.

While San Marino has tasted defeat more often than victory, they’ve remained committed to their craft, playing each match with the belief they can win - an attitude that might just be rewarded with another victory in the UEFA Nations League.

"Staying motivated is in the nature of each of us,” manager Roberto Cevoli told Reuters after the team’s victory against Liechtenstein. “We can't lose heart when we don't win games, it's part of football and we have to be aware of that.”

Wise words from a manager unwilling to let an infamous losing streak define his team’s trajectory.