O F F I C I A L M ATC H D AY P R O G R A M M E
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE D GROUP 2
MATCHDAY ONE
V SAN MARINO
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH 2020 KICK-OFF 3.00PM
#TogetherVictorious
CONTENTS
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE D GROUP 2 MATCHDAY ONE SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH 2020 KICK-OFF 3.00PM
5 WELCOME
General Secretary, Ivan Robba
9 FROM THE CAPTAIN
A message from the skipper, Roy Chipolina
10/11 NEW IMAGE SAME PASSION 6/7 FROM THE MANAGER
A word from Julio Ribas on today’s encounter
A look at the new branding
12/13 ON SHOW TODAY The two squads
15 KEY WORKERS
We send thanks to our true heroes
17 SAN MARINO
We welcome today’s opponents
22/23 NATIONS LEAGUE PREVIEW
Our friends from Football Gibraltar look back at our past participation in this tournament
21 The uefa nations league
All the information for League D, Group 2
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE D GROUP 2 MATCHDAY ONE V SAN MARINO
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MATCH PROGRAMME Designed and produced by APE Publications - Gibraltar’s Match Programme specialists Email: apepublications@aol.co.uk Twitter: @APEPublications Photography: Ian Martinez/Gibraltar FA and Neil Wilson PAGE 3
IVAN ROBBA
WELCOME
among the ten oldest associations in the world.
For obvious reasons we have been unable to celebrate this incredible landmark. We had prepared an extensive programme of celebrations, but we are the first to acknowledge that during these testing times, celebrations have to be put on hold, and all efforts must be focused on helping those working tirelessly at the frontline to overcome what lies ahead.
GOOD afternoon everyone. I welcome you to this digital version of our Match Programme with an element of sadness as there is nothing I would have liked more than to sit in a packed Victoria Stadium with all of you, our passionate Llanito fans, cheering our players on and playing your fundamental role as our 12th man on the field. This said, I also welcome all of you with a sense of excitement, because we are moments away from once again hosting official International football on the Rock, when this seemed like an impossibility only six months ago.
Nevertheless, we felt it was important to mark at least one significant change this year; that of our new Logo, which we launched earlier this week. Our new identity depicts our Rock as she watches over us at the Victoria Stadium. This has been a huge project for us, which we have been working on for more than a year, and one that should have been at the centre of our many 125 year anniversary events. Our new logo is just the start of a journey into whole new modern and professional era as an association, always, of course, remembering and honouring all those who have come before us in the Gibraltar FA’s 125 years of history.
Today we welcome San Marino to the Victoria Stadium in the UEFA Nations League. Matches like these are the very reason why this tournament was created by UEFA, and I wish our opponents a pleasant stay in Gibraltar, just not for the 90 minutes on the pitch this afternoon! Wherever you may be watching, get behind our boys; scream at the television and sing and shout as if you were in the Victoria Stadium. You may not be with the team in person but, as always, Julio and his players will be playing with the passion and pride that you our extended family expect and deserve. On a final note, the world has been gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic, and normal life has taken a step back. Thankfully, Gibraltar’s authorities acted promptly and exemplary to keep us all safe, and I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have been in the frontline, for their dedication and professionalism. This match is for you… IVAN ROBBA General Secretary, Gibraltar Football Association
COVID-19 has paralysed the world, and football was no exception. Our staff and members have been working relentlessly over the last few months to make today a reality, and I therefore express my thanks to everyone who has contributed to this cause and who is working today to bring some normality back to the beautiful game we all love. Some of you may not know this, but this year, the Gibraltar FA celebrates its 125th anniversary. We are UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE D GROUP 2 MATCHDAY ONE V SAN MARINO
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HEAD COACH Q&A
JULIO RIBAS Julio, it’s been almost ten months since our last International against Switzerland. Personally how have you been keeping in these difficult times, where International football has been stopped?
JR: Yes indeed, it’s been a long ten months which have been very hard for everyone all over the world. I’ve been at home, in Gibraltar, with my wife, Silvanna, and working hard on quite a few footballing projects with a great deal of hope that this global situation around the pandemic improves as quickly as possible. I’d like to take this opportunity to place on record that the situation in Gibraltar has been excellently handled by the Government, Public Health Authorities and all of those key workers who have worked so hard to keep us all safe here. What do you think about the UEFA Nations League as a tournament?
JR:The UEFA Nations league has shown that it’s a tournament that’s here to stay and a magnificent addition to the International calendar by UEFA. It’s a passionate tournament that throws up possibilities and interesting clashes at all levels and it’s great for the growth of the International game. For us it’s an extremely important tournament! How are the players given that some of them have had quite a few months with very little, if any, competitive football under their belts? JR: It has been a difficult situation for not just our players, but players all over the world. We haven’t been able to prepare in the way that we would have ultimately liked; not every player has been able to train in the same way. Bear in mind that since our League was stopped in March, some players won’t have begun training with their clubs until the end of August. Fortunately others went back to training earlier, at the beginning of July, because of the UEFA Champions
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League and UEFA Europa League qualifiers.
The players haven’t had the regular rhythm of pre-season friendlies because of the COVID pandemic. This has meant that crossing the border and playing any type of game in Spain has simply not been logistically possible to prepare them for competitive matches. But this is where we are and we will deal with it. Today we face a nation who many onlookers believe Gibraltar should get a positive result against. Does this affect the way you plan and prepare for the game?
JR: There is not one team or opponent that can be talked about as ‘easy’ nowadays. Just look at what happened when Lincoln beat Celtic here a couple of years ago, when they came here thinking they just had to turn up. When we went to Armenia, for example, we knew that before the game all the talk in the build-up was that they would score a minimum of four against us. Look what happened there, our first official competitive win after win after four years of trying!
In the UEFA Champions League recently, Lyon knocked out a Manchester City team who were supposed to beat them easily, and likewise Atletico Madrid, who were stunned by Leipzig. That’s why for us football is about working hard to better ourselves. I don’t ever want players who think any game is easy; that’s for pundits to speculate about and for supporters to enjoy sharing their opinions about. We are a team who suffered a lot in our first four years as UEFA and FIFA members, so I want my players to think that every game they play is a Cup Final against the best team in the world and to show this on the field of play. For that reason, this will be a difficult game for us against an opponent who will be doing everything to win the game.
We must fight even harder, run even further, show even more courage and passion. As a team we will give the last breath we can give to honour our fans and the whole of our beloved Gibraltar Talking about San Marino, for those who don’t know very much about them, what can you tell us about the team we will face this afternoon?
JR: San Marino have very good players who have played together as a team for a long period of time now, some of whom play professionally in Italy. In fact, they have more professionals than we do, which means that we must be ready for a tough, hard-fought match. We will have to be concentrated at all times and believe that our strengths as a team will shine through.
How do you think paying behindclosed-doors will affect the match and the players?
JR: For sure it’s not the same as playing in front our amazing home fans who support us unconditionally and have that amazing rapport with the players. We would love to be playing in front of a full stadium, but the reality is that we can’t given the COVID situation.
For that very reason we must fight even harder, run even further, show even more courage and passion. As a team we will give the last breath we can give to honour our fans and the whole of our beloved Gibraltar. UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE D GROUP 2 MATCHDAY ONE V SAN MARINO
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THE CAPTAIN
#TOGETHERVICTORIOUS
ROY CHIPOLINA
GOOD afternoon everyone. I hope that wherever you are watching, you and your loved ones are keeping safe and well during these difficult times. It’s a shame that we cannot be playing today in front of a packed out Victoria Stadium, however the health and safety of everyone is what is most important at the moment.
We will not be underestimating San Marino but will head into the game with confidence from our previous UEFA Nations League campaign, knowing that a positive result is achievable if we perform to our very best… It has been a long ten months since we played our last International against Switzerland in November last year, and we can’t wait to get started again. We have had hardly any competitive football at club level, luckily most of the squad have been involved in UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League qualifiers, so we have a at least one full game under our belts.
Julio and his team have prepared us extremely well.
Matches like today is what the UEFA Nations League is all about, allowing us to play competitive International football against European countries of a similar ranking to ourselves. We will not be underestimating San Marino but will head into the game with
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE D GROUP 2 MATCHDAY ONE V SAN MARINO
confidence from our previous UEFA Nations League campaign, knowing that a positive result is achievable if we perform to our very best. I hope you will be screaming at us on your TV’s or wherever you are able to watch the game! Enjoy the game and stay safe… ROY PAGE 9
NEW IMAGE SAME PASSION
THIS year marks the Gibraltar FA s 125th Anniversary. Unfortunately, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and the direct effect that it has had on our community, the association has been unable to stage its planned programme of events to celebrate this historic occasion.
Nevertheless, it was important that this landmark year be recognised with one significant change, and that it be introduced in time for Gibraltar’s upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign, which begins today at the Victoria Stadium. Working closely with the UEFA Grow programme, which aims at developing ‘Football Federations of the Future’ amongst its 55 members, the Gibraltar FA embarked upon an indepth project to redesign its logo and visual identity with UEFA’s industry experts’ research into the current logo laying the foundation for both the design work and its overall look and feel.
In scoping and researching the new logo, the association was clear that its new visual focal point should be intertwined with iconic imagery of our beloved nation, and reflect a modern, forward-thinking visual and corporate identity to drive the Gibraltar FA into the new decade and the next generation.
Ever since football has been played at the Victoria Stadium, one landmark vision of Gibraltar has always stood out - the view of the Rock of Gibraltar, from the centre circle. The Rock has watched over generations of footballers who have filled Gibraltar with pride, from the old Nortex, gravel and sand based pitches in the 1950s and 60s, through the 70s and 80s and then in to the 90s and the first artificial surfaces, with various visiting teams and the unforgettable Sunshine Games, right through into the new millennium and ultimately the modern age of UEFA and FIFA membership. In the first competitive International as UEFA and FIFA Members at the Victoria Stadium, in 2018, Gibraltar National Team Head Coach, Julio Ribas, asked his players and staff turn to face the Rock as they sung the National Anthem and this has now become a key part of the National Teams pre-match ritual, with any fans replicating this act. Therefore, using a modern design on the angle of the Rock of Gibraltar, as seen from the Victoria Stadium, the
association’s new logo features two vertically pointing chevrons or ‘arrow-heads’. The symbolism of the two chevrons represents the ‘old’ and the ‘new’.
Into a new decade the Gibraltar FA faces new challenges that it is dutybound to undertake as the standard bearer for Gibraltarian Football. In doing so the association must not forget all the work that has been done in the last 125 years in which football has played an enormous part in the growth and development of our wonderful community. We Gibraltarians are people who no matter what, never give up, a people who for hundreds of years have never surrendered in the face of all sorts of adversity. Our actions and behaviour during our current battle against the deadly COVID-19 virus is another example of this. Our frontline workers and respective authorities have defended our community without hesitation and in exemplary fashion. Gibraltar’s footballers are no different; they bleed red and white and will now defend our nation wearing ‘The Rock’ on their chests, displaying same courage, desire, passion and pride as generations of footballers before them always did.
“The new logo is a key part of launching the Gibraltar FA into a new, modern and professional sporting association,” said Ivan Robba, Gibraltar FA General Secretary. “We were very clear that we wanted a unique and relevant new identity that is in keeping with global footballing trends but simultaneously reflecting the association’s core values and principles.
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE D GROUP 2 MATCHDAY ONE V SAN MARINO
“The iconic image of the Rock of Gibraltar watching over the Victoria Stadium has, for decades, inspired generations of Gibraltarian Footballers and the further this concept was developed, the clearer it became that this needed to be central to our new identity.
“The two upward pointing chevrons on the logo represent the Gibraltar FA moving into a new dawn without forgetting the sterling work that has been done by everyone involved in the association since it was founded in 1895.
“From now on, wherever a Gibraltar National Football team take the field of play, they will be wearing the Rock of Gibraltar on their chests.”
Zoran Laković, UEFA’s National Associations Director, added: “We are delighted to see the Gibraltar FA rebranding itself as a launch pad into the next decade.
“The new logo, featuring the spectacular Rock of Gibraltar, clearly shows that the association has the passion and commitment to grow and develop Gibraltarian football whilst at the same time never forgetting the core values that make it one of the oldest Football Associations in the world.
“Image is one of the core pillars of UEFA Grow Programme and I would like to congratulate the Gibraltar FA on the brilliant work that has been done in researching, developing, designing and creating this amazing new visual identity and brand for the association, and we look forward to seeing it worn with true Gibraltarian passion and pride in football stadia across Europe.”
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GIBRALTAR
SAN MARINO
HEAD COACH: Julio Ribas Colours: Red & White
HEAD COACH: Franco Varrella Colours: Sky Blue
Pld Sub
Pld Sub
DAYLE COLEING KYLE GOLDWIN
ELIA BENEDETTINI
BRADLEY BANDA
SIMONE BENEDETTINI
JAMIE ROBBA
FILIPPO BERARDI
JACK SERGEANT
MARCO BERNARDI
ETHAN BRITTO
CRISTIAN BROLLI
KENNETH CHIPOLINA
LUCA CECCAROLI
SCOTT WISEMAN
MATTIA GIARDI
ROY CHIPOLINA ©
ALESSANDRO D’ADDARIO
JAYCE OLIVERO
ALESSANDRO GOLINUCCI
AYMEN MOUELHI
ENRICO GOLINUCCI
ANTONY MOULDS
ANDREA GRANDONI
GRAEME TORRILLA
LORENZO LUNADEI
JEAN CARLOS GARCIA
ADOLFO JOSE HIRSCH
JARON VINET
NICOLA NANNI
JULIAN VALARINO
MIRKO PALAZZI
SHAUN DE LOS SANTOS
DANTE CARLOS ROSSI
JARED BUHAGIAR
DAVIDE SIMONCINI
SCOTT BALLANTINE
MATTIA STEFANELLI
NICK CASTLE
ALEX STIMAC
JEREMY LOPEZ
FABIO RAMON TOMASSINI
AYOUB EL HMIDI
MATTEO VITAIOLI
KELVIN MORGAN
LUCA TOSI
ETHAN SANTOS
MATTEO ZAVOLI
DYLAN PEACOCK
KEVIN ZONZINI
LOUIE ANNESLEY ETHAN JOLLEY LIAM WALKER KIAN RONAN
ANTHONY HERNANDEZ
ANDREW HERNANDEZ
MOHAMED BADR KYLE CASCIARO
JAMIE COOMBES
TJ DE BARR
REECE STYCHE LEE CASCIARO
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MANUEL BATTISTINI
MATCH OFFICIALS REFEREE: TBA
ASSISANT REFEREE: TBA
ASSISTANT REFEREE: TBA FOURTH OFFICIAL: TBA
THE TEAMS UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE D GROUP 2 MATCHDAY ONE V SAN MARINO
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THANK YOU
TO OUR HEROIC KEY WORKERS FROM ALL OF US
TO OUR LOYAL FANS WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU ALL BACK HERE SOON
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE D GROUP 2 MATCHDAY ONE V SAN MARINO
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MIRKO PALAZZI
ON THE ROCK
SAN MARINO
SAN MARINO gained affiliation to FIFA and UEFA in 1988, with their first match in a FIFA-sanctioned competition coming against Switzerland on 14 November 1990, in a qualifier for the 1992 European Championships. That particular encounter ended in a 4-0 defeat as they went on to lose all eight qualifying games in that inaugural campaign, scoring their solitary goal in a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Romania.
country's first-ever point in a European Championship qualifier. The last UEFA Nations League campaign saw them lose all six matches. It started with a 5-0 reverse in Belarus before their first home game yielded a 3-0 loss at the hands of Luxembourg. Having slipped to a 2-0 defeat in Moldova, they fell to their second 3-0 set-back to Luxembourg.
For their first World Cup qualifying campaign, San Marino were drawn in a group with England, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Turkey. Naturally there were some tough moments, such as a 10-0 hammering by Norway, but they also secured their first point courtesy of a goalless draw with Turkey and in their final qualifier against England, they gained recognition when Davide Gualtieri scored the then-fastest goal in World Cup Qualifying history— after 8.3 seconds—though the team subsequently went on to lose 7–1. In April 2001, San Marino gained their first-ever away point in World Cup qualification, drawing 1–1 with Latvia in
Riga, whilst three years later they gained their first win after more than 70 attempts - a 1–0 victory over Liechtenstein in a friendly on 28 April 2004 courtesy of a fifth-minute goal by Andy Selva. On 15 November 2014, San Marino drew 0–0 at home against Estonia. It was the first time in ten years that the team had not lost a game, ending a 61– match losing streak and securing the
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE D GROUP 2 MATCHDAY ONE V SAN MARINO
A single-goal home loss came against Moldova in the penultimate game as Belarus took a 2-0 triumph to bring the curtain down on a disappointing first foray into the competition. They will be hoping for better this time around and we welcome them to The Rock as we get the second edition of the competition underway. IMAGES: Federazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio PAGE 17
LAST TIME IN THE UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE A selection of images from our last UEFA Nations League campaign…
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 2020-21
THIS is the second edition of UEFA's newest national-team competition. Portugal clinched the first title on home turf in 2019, the culmination of a tournament that drew praise from across the continent. The 55 associations were split into four Leagues according to their position in the UEFA National Team Coefficient Rankings (1–16 in League A, 17– 32 in League B, 33-48 in League C, 49–55 in League D). Within each League, teams were subdivided into two pots (League D) or four (for Leagues A, B and C), again according to the rankings. We are part of Group 2 in League D, alongside Liechtenstein and San Marino. Teams play each other home and away, with the four group winners of League A qualifying for the UEFA Nations League Finals in June 2021, which feature semi-finals, a third-place match and the final. The group winners in Leagues B, C and D gain promotion and those who finish bottom of the groups in Leagues A and B will be relegated. As League C has four groups while League D has only two, the two League C teams to be relegated will be determined by two-leg play-offs in March 2022. The full fixture list for our group is, as follows:
MATCHDAY 1
Saturday 5 September Gibraltar vs San Marino (15:00)
MATCHDAY 2
Tuesday 8 September San Marino vs Liechtenstein (20:45)
MATCHDAY 3
Saturday 10 October Liechtenstein vs Gibraltar (18:00)
MATCHDAY 4
Tuesday 13 October Liechtenstein vs San Marino (20:45)
MATCHDAY 5
Saturday 14 November San Marino vs Gibraltar (15:00)
MATCHDAY 6
Tuesday 17 November Gibraltar vs Liechtenstein (20:45) UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE D GROUP 2 MATCHDAY ONE V SAN MARINO
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LEAGUE PREVIEW
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR Our friends from Football Gibraltar look at the UEFA Nations League
THE FIRST edition of the UEFA Nations League was a total breath of fresh air for Gibraltar. No-one really knew what this new tournament would be like, but if there were any doubts locally about it, then they were washed away with the brilliant back-to-back wins against Armenia and Liechtenstein in October 2018.
The tournament gives Gibraltar the chance to play against teams of a similar stature to themselves, and while we all enjoy the marquee matches against the likes of Denmark, Belgium and Germany in the qualifiers for the Euros and World Cup, it is matches against those around us that show where Gibraltar ranks in the footballing world. The absence of fans this time out will no doubt spoil some of what makes this tournament so special for Gibraltar – the atmosphere after coming back from behind against Liechtenstein, or going 1-0 up at home to Armenia, when promotion was for a few minutes at least a possibility, but there’s no doubt that, if Gibraltar were to pick up wins this year, that the players on the pitch will be able to hear the cheers of celebration from around the Rock.
Another area where the UEFA Nations League proved successful for Gibraltar was the ability for the national team to blood in some of their younger players and give them key experience ahead of the tougher qualifiers coming up. 2018’s tournament saw the likes of Tjay De Barr, Ethan Britto and Louie Annesley really secure their positions as regular starters for the national side; will we see more youngsters breakthrough in 2020? PAGE 22
At the other end of the age scale, these could potentially be the last appearances in this particular tournament for Roy Chipolina and Lee Casciaro, with the pair set to be 39 and 40 years old respectively when the 2022 UEFA Nations League starts – hopefully they will be rewarded for their years of service for the national team with victories, and if possible goals for the pair too.
This year’s tournament has seen a slight change to League D – only seven teams are in the group, and Gibraltar’s performance in 2018 meant they were top seeds in the league. As such, a three-team group, where they are alongside today’s opponents, San Marino, and Liechtenstein, is the reward for Julio Ribas’ side, and promotion has to be seen as a real possibility for the side.
Gibraltar and San Marino meet for the first time in a football match today, but given the visitors have only avoided defeat in five of their 164 matches to date, with one sole victory in 2004, then you have to fancy Gibraltar to take a minimum of four points from the two matches against Franco Varrella’s side. However, if they are to have any chance of promotion, then wins both in Gib and away in San Marino are likely to be required, as you would fancy Liechtenstein to do the same.
The other opponents in League D, Liechtenstein, are of course a more familiar foe to Ribas’ side. In truth, Gib were a little unfortunate to be on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline in Vaduz back in September 2018, but the 2-1 victory on home soil in October showed that Gibraltar can beat Helgi Kolviðsson’s team.
Liechtenstein proved they are an improving nation though in their Euro 2020 qualifiers, earning draws at home to Armenia and away at Greece, so on paper it seems like it will be a straight shoot-out between Gib and Liechtenstein for promotion to League C, which for either national team would be a monumental achievement and definitely one worth celebrating. It will be interesting to see how, if at all, the lack of competitive football for all three nations, and their players, will impact on the games. All three teams have not played a game since November 2019 (in fact, Gibraltar were due to play Liechtenstein in a friendly in March but that understandably was cancelled), while the only players with any real match fitness of any sort will be those who have played in the early rounds of UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League qualifying.
There is also no form to go off for players, and as such, the games, especially in this month’s international break, could provide a few surprises. Therefore, Gibraltar, who go into this game as favourites, will have to guard against any complacency, as well as adapt to going into an international match expected to be on the front foot, and win. 2020 has undeniably been a unique year, both in football and in the world in general, but hopefully the return of the UEFA Nations League takes us briefly back to 2018 – Gibraltar fighting in every game and creating history on the pitch.
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE D GROUP 2 MATCHDAY ONE V SAN MARINO
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