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Monday 26th June 2006
La Tribuna Sammarinese

Titani snub Gespi

San Marino assistant manager Antonio Gespi did apply for the manager's job at the Stadio di Olimpico, according to reports.

It is believed he put his name forward for the vacant managerial post after six years at the club. However, the San Marino board, headed by chairman Werther Cornieti reportedly rejected the forty-year-olds application because the Serie C1 Girone B side wanted a fresh approach.

Gespi said: "I'm deeply disappointed to have lost out on the job as I felt that I could really take this club places but unfortunately the chairman doesn't seem to see things as I do."

It leaves the future of Gespi unclear with the club set to announce it’s new manager within the next few days.

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Tuesday 27th June 2006
San Marino Oggi

Titani release pre-season dates

Despite being without a manager San Marino Calcio have announced their pre-season fixtures for the forthcoming season.

The Titani will begin their pre-season programme with Belgian side KAS Eupen visiting the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday 15th July. French side AC Ajaccien will then journey to Serravalle on Tuesday 18th July. Then German side SV Wacker Burghausen will play at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday 25th July. Monday 31st July sees Serie B Cesena at the Stadio Olimpico before the club visit Serie C1/A Pizzighettone to complete their schedule on Friday 4th August.

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Wednesday 5th July 2006
La Tribuna Sammarinese

Waggett takes the reins

In a shock move San Marino Calcio have appointed Jamie Waggett as their new manager following a prolonged stage of interviews after the resignation of previous manager Walter Nicoletti.

Waggett, a former Fiorentina player, will officially take charge of his new club on Friday 14th of July 2006 and said on hearing the news of his appointment: "I am absolutely delighted to be getting the chance to become involved with San Marino Calcio. I feel honoured to be asked to be a part of the club and will do my utmost to do everything I can to insure my time at the club, which I hope will be long, is a success. I am looking forward to the challenges and responsibilities that I will face."

Chairman Werther Cornieti said: "As soon as we began talks with Jamie we could sense we were onto something special. We have real plans for this club and he isn't afraid to get stuck in on or off the field. We feel we've made the best appointment we could at the present time and hope this is the start of a new and exciting period in the history of San Marino Calcio. When we began our search, we had a set of criteria we needed to fulfil. The most important factor for us was to appoint someone who recognises the importance and potential we have at San Marino Calcio and Jamie fills all the criteria we were looking for.�

At just twenty-seven years-old Waggett becomes one of the youngster managers ever in professional Italian football as well as one of the youngest in the history of world football. He has recently been involved with coaching, scouting and player recruitment at all levels for the Federazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio having been forced to retire from football at the age of nineteen after severely breaking his left leg in a car accident.

He said: “The offer came as a shock to me and I imagine my appointment will have raised a few eyebrows because of my age, but the board felt I was the first choice for the job. I am under no illusions that it‘s going to be an easy first season but I believe that we can start to put things in place to allow us to progress in the ones that will follow. I have to make sure I sign the right people and make the right decisions both on and off the pitch.�

Waggett said the decision to accept the position as manager wasn’t an easy one:

“I had to make sure everything was absolutely right. That it felt right for myself and the future of the club. I know the implications of failure, I could potentially undo years of good work but I don‘t think I will, we have a lot of potential left unfulfilled here although other factors may slow our development in the short-term. Financially we're not secure yet and it's going to be a very difficult year off the field but I know the mechanics of how a football club works and I know how much hard work has gone into this football club to date and what is required to keep the club safe and take it forward.�

One of the new managers first tasks will be to assess his squad, much of which has already been assembled for the new season as well as try to keep the side in Serie C1/B.

"I already know some of the players so not I’m coming into the job completely blind but I will need a honeymoon period to assess them and I will have to learn quickly how individuals work in order to get the best out of them. While there may be an exodus of some players everyone who is currently at the club will be given a chance to impress and I will be talking to each player individually during my first few days here. I cant wait for the season to start. I may be regarded by some as inexperienced in the transfer-market but I don‘t feel that it will be a problem when it comes to signing players. I think they‘ll understand that I want to be a success and in order for myself to achieve that I need to have players that want to be a part of it. If they don‘t that‘s their decision and I will wish them well with what they may find elsewhere.�

The club has announced that Waggett will officially be unveiled as manager tomorrow in a brief press conference at the Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle.

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Thursday 6th July 2006 am
Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino

I arrived early on my first day in charge. I couldn’t sleep, even the sleeping pills I tried didn’t do the trick so instead I’d risen early, shaved, had a light breakfast then prepared myself for the day ahead. I expected it to fly by. Upon arriving at the stadium I was given a brief tour, something I’d already undertaken, but it all helped to familiarise myself with a place I’d been several hundred times before but never really learnt off by heart. I realised in the coming season I would begin to know this place and the training ground like the back of my hand due to the sheer number of hours I would be putting in here. The minutes ticked by faster than expected and soon it was time for the press conference.

I made my way down a small corridor into a large white and blue room that was full of expectant local journalists, spokespersons from the supporters group and a few members of my former employers the FSGC. I was invited to take a seat at a table that had been laid out and was positioned in the middle of five seats, flanked on my left side by chairman Werther Cornieti, managing director Glauco Spadaro whilst to my right sat general manager Pierluigi Gambarara and director Germano De Biagi.

General manager Pierluigi Gambarara stood up and began to speak…

“Good morning and welcome to the Stadio Olimpico, we appreciate your attendance for today’s press conference at what is an exciting time in the history of San Marino Calcio. Without much further ado I’d like to hand proceedings over to chairman Werther Cornieti�

“Thank you Pierluigi. Today we celebrate another milestone in the history of San Marino Calcio. I’d like to introduce you all to our new manager Jamie Waggett, but before I hand over to Jamie I’d like to tell you a little bit about him. He represents, from my perspective, a new breed of manager in the game today and one of a number of the next generation of San Marinese coaches. He brings extensive coaching experience and credibility, as well as tremendous leadership qualities to the sidelines. He’s been with the Federazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio for six seasons, coaching at all levels of the national organisation as well as being involved in scouting, player recruitment, player development and administration. He is also a holder of the highest qualification available to professional coaches; the UEFA Pro Licence. He was born in San Marino on the sixth of October nineteen-seventy-eight and began his professional football career with Fiorentina in nineteen-ninety-three at the age of fifteen, graduating from the youth team, where he’d captained the side to a Coppa Italia Primavera during the 1995/96 season, into the first team at eighteen years-old before a serious injury forced his retirement from the game a year later.

He’s got the qualities that epitomise a coach today and the qualities that we look for in a leader. Character, compassion, experience and above all a commitment to win and develop Sammarinese football. Nothing attracted us more to Jamie than his commitment, determination and competitive nature. The experience he gained during his tenure with the Federazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio will be extremely valuable as the club look to the future and a new, fresh era at the heart of San Marinese football. He’s going to be a great asset to our team and a great asset to the community as a whole.�

He turned to me and said “Welcome to San Marino Calcio.� it was my now my turn to talk…

“Thank you, first I’d like to say this is wonderful, it‘s so nice to see so many faces, some familiar and some not so familiar. I’d like to thank the Federazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio for allowing me to grow as a coach under their tutelage and also for their willingness to allow me to come to San Marino Calcio once they became aware of the clubs interest. I’d also like to thank the chairman and the rest of the board for giving me this wonderful opportunity. I feel San Marino Calcio have the potential to be a very successful club in years to come, not only on the pitch but also off it. I’m very excited. Apart from what Werther has already said I will be bringing enthusiasm to the club. I’m thrilled and honoured to be part of this club.�

Pierluigi Gambarara then took over again before handing proceedings to managing director Glauco Spadaro…

“Today marks not only the arrival of a new manager but also the renewal of a link which has been allowed to whither away into a mere thread in recent seasons but will now grow strong and vibrant again. With the vision, support and financial backing of both the Federazione Sammarinese Giuocco Calcio and San Marino Calcio board we intend to greatly improve San Marino’s role in the future of Sammarinese football. When the club was formed in nineteen-sixty it’s intention was to allow San Marinese players the chance to play in a higher standard of league but over the years our squads have been diluted with Italian and other foreign players. Many rightly state that the clubs achievements of reaching Serie C1 have been remarkable considering where we’ve come from but we feel we can go further and our wish is to do this with Sammarinese blood throughout the squad. There is a lot of potential in this country and with a dedicated youth policy and a new transfer strategy I’d like to feel we will see fast improvements to the club both on and off the pitch. What we are aiming to do could and should improve the prospects of San Marinese football players for many generations to come.�

He paused to take a sip of water before continuing…

“In recent times we feel the club has fallen away from it’s primary objective but with our new exciting appointment we’re going to go back to our roots. We’re dedicated to improving Sammarinese football on the whole. The aims and objectives from now on will be to produce talented, well disciplined young footballers for San Marino Calcio and ultimately the San Marino National team. To achieve this objective we are in the process of setting up a recruitment and development strategy within the local region that will provide the opportunity for talented youngsters to play in the best possible environment and be coached by qualified and motivated coaches who are aware of the culture and philosophy of the club…"

He continued…

“…This initiative will provide a major step in the club’s development and is seen as an essential link between the expanding youth set up of the Federazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio and San Marino Calcio. It is a major undertaking, which will involve a lot of extra work for a number of people in the club but will also offer outstanding opportunities to many, especially for younger players. Very importantly, it has the full support and involvement of Jamie Waggett, who will take overall responsibility for the playing staff and back room staff at every level of the club. This we feel will guarantee continuity between the youth system and the first-team, which can only provide a healthy culture to the club on the whole. I am convinced that we will succeed with this ambitious plan by a combination of professionalism, determination, team spirit and solidarity�

With Spadaro finished Pierluigi Gambarara opened the floor up for questions…

A journalist from the San Marino Oggi was first: “Jamie, how do you expect to bring success to the club relying on San Marinese footballers? And what impact do you think this will have on the national team? with the exception of one or two individuals we’ve always been a weak nation when it comes to producing players and often find that many just don’t have what it takes to make the step up.�

“You forget that the majority of San Marinese players are strictly amateur. It’s no wonder the international side often fares so badly against professional players when you consider this important factor. Here at San Marino Calcio the players will be training in a professional environment and that will improve their game and subsequently the national side greatly. I feel this will be reflective in the clubs progress on the field. I intend to bring in the best players from the current national team, they already play their home fixtures at the Stadio Olimpico so it makes sense to me that the club is utilised to it’s full to potential to help and bring players through for the benefit of not only and most importantly the club side but also the national team. If the best players from a nation play together regularly at club level this will rub off on the international scene so the benefit is two-fold. I aim to bring the best in and bring the best out of those already here, judge me from day one. I am looking forward to the opportunity to develop young players so that they can challenge for a place in our first team squad as well as the national team. It is often very difficult for young San Marinese players to break through in professional football but by coming here they will be given the ideal opportunity they need to develop the extra strength and experience that is needed to make that next step. For a nation of our size I think it’s the correct decision to exploit our small resources, both human and financial, in the best way. Sammarinese youngsters that participate in the Italian youth leagues, will invariably be better prepared for professional and subsequently international football than those that haven‘t had this opportunity. This is an exciting initiative that I’m sure will reap a number of benefits in the next few seasons and, more importantly, will set standards for the club in the years to come. I want to take the team to new heights.�

Next a member of the supporters club: “What style of play and type of team will you try to mould here?�

“When I myself was a player I liked to play attractive passing football and that will be no different here. I want a determined, hard-working group of players but they must also have the ability to use the ball and not be afraid to graft when they don‘t have possession. I am expecting everyone to want to die for one another and shall attempt to foster a strong team spirit and work ethic throughout the club. People have to remember that this club is not only representative of those involved but also the Republic of San Marino itself. Every time we go out on the field I shall be expecting my players to defend the honour and pride of their nation, even those not born in San Marino.�

Then a journalist from La Tribuna Sammarinese: “Werther, how important was it for you to appoint someone with the experience of San Marinese football that Jamie has? What are your aims for the season?�

“Obviously it was vital, this is the next step in the development of not only the club but how the game is played in San Marino. Naturally with any managerial appointment you‘re taking some risk but with Jamie we think we have found someone who will ensure the club is in safe hands, we could have gone for someone not from San Marino but felt they might find it difficult with some of the pressures in place, although nothing was concrete. To answer your second question, in this first season we‘d like to consolidate our position in Serie C1 and build from there onwards. We have a long-term strategy in place and need to improve things both on and off the field to achieve that. Some may say that by giving Jamie just a one-year contract we‘re only looking at him as a short-term arrival but we have made it quite clear that he‘ll be offered a longer deal provided the club are performing to the standards we desire towards the end of the season. We don‘t see him as a stop-gap, we want a long and successful tenure from him.�

Questions continued for around twenty-minutes more before the press conference was ended. Although some felt it was perhaps hoping a bit too much for the club to find a golden generation or five of talented Sammarinese youngsters many believed it was the right time to invest in both the club and national team. Provided we could succeed on and off the pitch there would only be positives for both sectors of the sport. After a short time having photographs taken with the board and various sponsors I was allowed to retreat to the relative quiet and safety of my office. It was a small room, decked out in modern looking furniture - a couple of chairs, a sofa, a smart desk with a laptop on it and two sets of blinds; one which looked out onto the Stadio Olimpico pitch and the other onto the training ground. A prime position indeed.

Having been informed that the San Marino board of directors were looking forward to a long and successful era under my management and that they were satisfied with the club’s current financial status I decided it was time to take a look at matters on the field as well as my backroom staff. Having been told that I was expected to lead the team to at least safety, although a brave fight against relegation was expected, something which was echoed by many of the supporters, survival would be the key and I’d need to know everything about those currently involved at the club to get off to the best possible start. I felt the only way we’d get this was with a strong backbone in my side and a strong backroom staff, but what did I currently have at my disposal?

Something else with gave me heart was the welcome I’d received from those from the ultras group Nucleo 2000. They told me that although I was inexperienced due to my background with the national team they and many other supporters were cautiously optimistic about my arrival as well as that they were happy to see a Sammarinese national in charge for the first time in a number of years. However, I didn’t have much time for reflection, procrastination or to day dream as I had much work to do before my first official day in charge on Friday the 14th of July but first I would immerse myself in some historical research.

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The history of San Marino Calcio

San Marino Calcio is a Sammarinese football club, based in Serravalle. It was founded in 1960 as S.S. Serenissima (SocietÃ* Sportiva Serenissima) by the Federazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio with the purpose to have a professional side representing the Republic of San Marino in the Italian league, but was then later purchased by Sammarinese and Italian entrepreneurs although the FSGC still retained a stake in the club.

The first president was Carlo Casali, and the team was initially placed in the Seconda Categoria, which is the ninth level of the Italian amateur league and at the time the lowest in the Italian structure because the Terza Cateogria did not exist, achieving their first promotion two years later in 1962.

In 1965 the FSGC and Casali passed control of the club to Carlo Tonolli and later to Giancarlo Ghironzi, an ex-Libertas player, who oversaw the merger between S.S. Serenissima with the old S.S. Juvenes in 1973 to create A.C. San Marino (Associazione Calcio San Marino). As the club had gained promotion from the Prima Categoria during this time they began the 1973/74 season in Promozione, the seventh tier of Italian football, finishing sixth. The next year they finished tenth before suffering relegation back to the Prima Categoria in 1975/76. Back in the Prima Categoria, they finished tenth, fifth and third before in 1979/80 gained promotion back to the Promozione after winning their regional league. In the next two years they battled hard against relegation, surviving in their first year, with a fourteenth place finish but were sadly relegated back to level eight of the structure the following season after finishing fifteenth. The 1982/83 and 1983/84 seasons brought two sixth placed finishes before the club entered what is considered to be a golden period in it‘s short history.

Under the stewardship of manager Gabriele Lucchi and president Germano De Biagi the club achieved two successive promotions as they finished first in both the 1984/85 Prima Categoria and 1985/86 Promozione campaigns. By virtue of the second they gained entry to the sixth level of the structure, Eccellenza, for the first time in their history and subsequently gained a third promotion in a row to the last non-professional level in Italy, Serie D. With promotion the club changed it’s name to San Marino Calcio with many feeling that they had perhaps gone too far too soon but another promotion was to follow as the swept all before them to claim top spot in their regional Gironi during 1987/88 and with it acceptance in the Serie C2 for the first time. Sadly the 1988/89 season brought what many had felt might happen before as the club were relegated back to Serie D after a single season, finishing seventeenth amongst the professional players.

Many tipped the club for promotion during the 1989/90 season but they failed to find any consistency towards the end of the season and finished a disappointing fifth under future San Marino national team manager Giampaolo Mazza, then ninth in 1990/91 before capitulating in the 1991/92 season to finish seventeenth and suffer relegation to Eccellenza. However, the clubs stay at the sixth level of Italian football lasted just a season as they were promoted back into Serie D as champions. They then recorded sixth and seventh place finishes before again succumbing to relegation with a seventeenth place finish in 1995/96. Much like their previous recent experience of the Eccellenza, they only needed one season to get back into Serie D though and with Giampaolo Mazza back in charge for a season before leaving to take over the national team, finished as champions. The 1997/98 saw a four place finished at the fifth level and was following by another of sixth in 1998/99 as the club looked to solidify it’s position just outside the professional ranks.

The 1999/00 season saw former Sansepolcro manager Sauro Trillini appointed as manager but after promising so much at the start of the season a string of defeats saw him replaced by Franco Bonavita who saw his side go seventeen games unbeaten with twelve wins and five draws in the second half of the season to secure promotion from Serie D as champions of Girone F and back into Serie C2 for the first time since 1988/89. A late goal from striker Ignazio Damateo securing the title of the last day of the season, only his fourth in thirty games that year.

Bonavita and the talismanic presence of captain Mirko Fabbri helped lead the club to a tenth place finish in Serie C2 Girone B during the 2000/01 with forty-four points from their thirty-four games, which included eleven wins and eleven draws. The following season saw the club better the tally as eleven goals in thirty games from striker Andrea Tedeschi helped the club to secure fifty-five points and a then high of sixth place in the league, just missing out on the play-offs. 2002/03 saw a difficult season for the Titani as they had not one but three managers. Gabriel Morganti started the season on the bench but was then replaced and Claudio Regno and finally Massimo Morgia as the club slipped in the standings to ninth place.

The 2003/04 saw the club finish fourth and suffer the heartbreak of a play-off defeat as they fell three-two on aggregate to Cisco Roma over two legs. However, this only made the team more determined and the following year, another fourth place finish saw them progress into the play-offs where they were victorious and in doing so secured promotion to Serie C1 for the first time in their history.

The club start the season under the management of Francesco Bulgio but they quickly found Serie C1 Girone A difficult and eventually he is replaced by Roberto Alberti. The club pick up just thirty-five points from thirty-four games of the course of the season to finish seventeenth and subsequently face a relegation play-out against Pro Sesto to secure their survival. Away from home in the first leg they defeat their opponents by a single goal from Federico Piovaccari, a young forward on loan from Inter Milan who scores eleven goals in twenty-nine games that season. The second leg sees Pro Sesto throw everything they can at the San Marino goal but largely thanks to a heroic performance from goalkeeper Roberto Colombo and defender Mirko Taccola, the captain of the side, they keep a clean sheet to secure a place in Serie C1 for the 2006/07 season. Striker Alberto Villa leads the clubs scoring charts with thirteen goals in thirty-one games.

San Marino Calcio are the only Sammarinese team allowed to participate at the professional level in the Italian football league, although A.C. Juvenes/Dogana, who also play in the Campionato Sammarinese, compete in the Promozione, the seventh level in the Italian league structure. Because the Campianato Sammarinese di Calcio is completely amateur, San Marino Calcio are also the only professional football team in the Republic.

The clubs nickname is Titani (Titans) because the republic of San Marino is situated on the slopes of Mount Titano, on the Adriatic side of central Italy between the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions and surrounded on all sides by the Republic of Italy. Although they are often also referred to as the Biancazzurri due to the team's traditional colours being white and light blue.

The club play at the Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle which is also home to the national team and other sporting events. It was constructed in 1969 and was originally just known as the Stadio di Serravalle or Stadio Municipal. However, since 1985 it’s been known as the Stadio Olimpico because it hosted the first edition of the “Olympic Games of the Little Countries of Europe�. The stadium is owned by the FSGC and is situated in San Marino’s largest city Serravalle, which has a population of around 8,700. With a capacity of just seven thousand it is currently one of the smallest stadiums in the Italian professional league but those who make the journey to see it are treated to a picturesque setting as the stadium is primarily flanks by landscape which is for the most part green and dominated by rolling hills and tree-lined banks. A large running track surrounds the pitch while both ends, neither of which contain areas for fans, are open to the elements. Instead the stadium consists of two large stands that run the length of either side of the field. The covered northern main stand, known as the Tribuna Centrale, holds around 3,500 spectators and is faced by a another stand on the south side, called the Tribuna Coperta, which has a covered section holding around 1,500 people and is also flanked by two smaller uncovered sections which hold around 1,000 fans between them. Adjacent to the stadium is a building that overlooks a baseball field and houses an Olympic standard swimming pool, gym, indoor training facilities as well a basketball court.

The club has one group of ultras called Nucleo 2000, they are a small group of fans who have been in existence since the last game of the 1999/00 season and travel the length and breadth of Italy to support the biancuzurri.

The motto of San Marino Calcio is ‘stella del mio destino’ which means ‘star of my destiny’ in English.

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In bocca al lupo!, Wag - great start, and I hope this story has a long and glorious life!

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crepi il lupo!

Thank you very much Amaroq

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A history of San Marino

The Most Serene Republic of San Marino (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino) is a small country situated on the slopes of Mount Titano, on the Adriatic side of central Italy between the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions and surrounded on all sides by the Republic of Italy. It is the smallest independent state in Europe after Vatican City and Monaco and, until the independence of Nauru (1968), the smallest republic in the world. San Marino has the smallest population of all the members of the Council of Europe at an estimated 28,000.

According to tradition, San Marino is the oldest constitutional republic in the world still existing: it was founded in the year 301 by Marinus of Rab, a Christian stonemason fleeing the religious persecution of Roman Emperor Diocletian. San Marino has the oldest written constitution still in effect, dating back to 1600

San Marino has an irregular rectangular form with a maximum length of eight miles (thirteen kilometres), northeast to southwest. It is crossed by the Marano and Ausa (Aussa) streams, which flow into the Adriatic Sea, and by the stream of San Marino, which falls into the Marecchia River. The landscape is dominated by the huge, central limestone mass of Mount Titano (2,424 feet [739 metres]); hills spread out from it on the southwest, whereas the north-eastern part gently slopes down toward the Romagna plain and the Adriatic coast. The silhouette of Mount Titano, with its three summits crowned by ancient triple fortifications, may be seen from many miles away.

The climate is mild and temperate, with maximum temperatures of 79 °F (26 °C) in summer and 19 °F (-7 °C) in winter. Annual rainfall ranges between about 22 inches (560 mm) and 32 inches (800 mm). Although traces of human presence from both prehistoric and Roman times exist in the territory, Mount Titano and its slopes are known to have been populated, with certainty, only after the arrival of St. Marinus and his followers. San Marino citizens, or Sammarinesi, make up more than four-fifths of the country's population, with Italians composing most of the remainder. Thousands of Sammarinesi reside abroad, principally in Italy, the United States, France, and Argentina. Nearly nine-tenths of San Marino's citizens are Roman Catholics, though there is no official religion. The official language is Italian. A widely spoken dialect has been defined as Celto-Gallic, akin to the Piedmont and Lombardy dialects as well as to that of Romagna.

San Marino is divided into the nine municipalities, known locally as castelli or castles (singular castello), each on a different hill, as depicted on the republic's coat of arms). The City of San Marino (CittÃ* di San Marino) is the eponymous capital, set high on the western side of Mount Titano beneath the fortress crowning one of it‘s summits, and has a population of around 4,500.

There are also eight minor municipalities the largest of which are Borgo Maggiore, situated at the foot of Mount Titano and with a population of nearly 6,000 and for centuries the commercial centre of the country, and Serravalle, which has a population of around 9,400 inhabitants and contains in Dogana, the largest city in the country. Dogana is situated in the north-eastern corner of the country and due to it’s population of roughly 7,000 has asked split away from Serravalle and become it’s own castello, although as yet this has not happened.

With around 2,865 inhabitants Domagnano, previously known as Montelupo (mountain of wolves) after its coat of arms, is the next largest municipality and is located on Monte Titano. In terms of number it closely followed by Fiorentino with 2,245 then Acquaviva, named after a local source of water, with 1, 812 inhabitants. Faetano has a population of around 1,132 and is just a bit larger than Chiesanuova, who have a population of 1,029 while Montegiardino is the smallest of all the castilli with a population of just 818.

A network of roads connects San Marino with the surrounding regions of Italy. Motor coach services connect San Marino city with Rimini, Italy, and, in summer, directly with the Adriatic coast. The main airport serving San Marino is the Federico Fellini International Airport in Rimini. There are no railroads, but the capital is reached from Borgo Maggiore by means of a cable railway.

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Friday 14th July 2006

In the days before my official start date as manager I had been hard at work, most days I arrived early at the stadium and didn’t leave until the late evening as I wanted to be well prepared for the season ahead of me, which was starting now. I’d met with everyone at the club and here was what I had at my fingertips.

The Club

San Marino Calcio are currently in Serie C1. Serie C is the name given to the third and fourth highest levels of the Italian football league structure. It is broken up into Serie C1 (third tier) and Serie C2 (fourth tier). Serie C1 consists of two divisions: Serie C1/A and Serie C1/B, both of 18 teams. At the end of the season, four teams (two from each division) go up to Serie B and six teams (three from each division) go down to Serie C2.

Serie C2 consists of three divisions: Serie C2/A, Serie C2/B, and Serie C2/C, all of them composed of 18 teams. At the end of the season, six teams (two from each division) go up to Serie C1 and nine teams (three from each division) go down to Serie D. In both Serie C1 and C2, teams are split into gironi (divisions) by geographical criteria.

San Marino spent last year, their first at this level, in Serie C1 Girone A, which is mostly composed of northern team, but have been moved into Girone B, featuring predominantly teams from central and southern Italy, for the coming season. It isn’t uncommon for teams to find themselves switching between the girone at this level because of the geography involved but if you’re a club in a central area you could end up with some rather long trips in your away schedule.

The club, which is completely professional, is at the highest it’s ever been in the league structure and will this year start only it’s second ever at this level. We currently have £188,129 in the bank, with £143,862 available for transfers. Fifty percent of any revenue I bring in from transfer will also be given to me to boost the second figure. This season sees us starting the second and final year of a two year sponsorship deal worth £7,500 a season.

Stadium and Facilities

Although the Stadio Olimpico was on the small size, the capacity of 7,000 would do just fine for now. If, in a few seasons time, we were to say gain promotion then it appeared that we would have no problem with increasing the capacity due to the space and size of the area surrounding the ground. I liked the stadium, it had a lot of character and the picturesque setting also helped. In the past few days I’d been here I’d often found myself gazing out of my office window and into the trees and hillside beyond that lay behind the open end towards my left.

We also had the most basic of training facilities and similarly basic youth facilities although by virtue of the Federazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio we had something that vaguely resembled a youth academy that regularly produced young players for the club. Both of these would need improving but with funds on the short side we’d either need a very large grant to appear from somewhere or for the club to get some serious investment or to suddenly start bringing in a great deal of money and fast for that to happen. With this the case for the time being at least I would have to just work with what I had.

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The Staff

The Board:

Chairman: Werther Cornieti
Managing Director: Glauco Spadaro
General Manager: Pierluigui Gambarara
Director: Germano De Biagi


Hierarchy:

Jamie Waggett (Manager)

Coaching Staff:

Antonio Gespi (Assistant Manager)

Stefano Neri (Coach)
Gianluca Lucchetti (Coach)

Marco Ragini (Goalkeeping Coach)
Ermes Morini (Goalkeeping Coach)

Medical Staff:

Claudio Muccioli (Physio)
Simone Grana (Physio)
Diego Ghinelli (Physio)
Anselmo Bravaccini (Physio)
Marco Benedettini (Physio)

Scouting Network:

Massimiliano Righi

One thing I had noticed in my short time here was that the club had a full retinue of coaches, scouts and physiotherapists. Speaking of the coaching staff, I wasn’t particularly impressed by what had been assembled by those before me.

Goalkeeping coaches Marco Ragini, who also had the unenviable responsible for training the goalkeepers of the San Marino national team, and Ermes Moroni were the by far best and most accessible, they would be kept but as I had previously noted I felt that Ragini was wasted in his role so immediately set about talking him into taking over a different coaching role at the club where he‘d have access to outfield players.

Assistant manager Antonio Gespi and coaches Stefano Neri and Gianluca Lucchetti would be given a small period of grace but time looked to be running out for the Italian trio who I just felt lacked the professionalism and adaptability that would be needed to play in a part in the culture I was intending to introduce into the club. Another small bone of contention I had the amount of physiotherapists currently in employment, I see the sense in perhaps two or three but we had five, they’d spend their days chatting and drinking coffee in the medical room, occasionally treating the odd player when it suited them. This was unacceptable and once I had properly assessed the fives credentials I would be lightening the load of those I felt were not what I needed.

As well as Ragini and Moroni, the only other person on the my staff to impress me was our only scout; Massimiliano Righi, a thirty-seven year-old, who was born in San Marino. Righi had a wealth of experience and knowledge, both locally and abroad, and was responsible for finding many of the young players who made up the clubs youth academy. He would no doubt play an important role in any future player recruitment we would have, especially in the local market as the club looks to tap into the potential of the Campianato Sammarinese.

Overall, I wasn’t particularly happy with what I had been given and felt it was time to call in reinforcements. Marco Ragini and Massimiliano Righi were both offered and accepted new long-term contracts with the club as I also sounded out several other people about potential roles within my new coaching set-up.