San Marino's record is second to none

With a population equal to Leitrim's, Paul O'Hehir can easily pinpoint San Marino's problem

Unlike his Irish counterpart, it would appear Giampaolo Mazza shoulders no blame whenever his team loses, which frankly is all the time. With just one victory from his 41 internationals, the San Marino manager has grown accustomed to on-field humiliation and dejection. "What can I do?" he shrugs.

Along with Sweden's Lars Lagerback, Mazza is Europe's longest serving international manager. But expectations, clearly, don't weigh heavily among the blazers in San Marino HQ. The country's 29,000 population, as well as its meagre press contingent, also appear content to lose routinely and bear no collective grudges. They've never known it any other way.

Mazza appreciates his is a thankless job and, naturally, is reluctant to criticise a side that is derived from such a limited pool and boasts just two professionals. Still, he relishes each game as much as the next, dreaming of a point and knowing his fiercest critics are the schoolchildren he teaches back home. Steve Staunton should be so lucky.

A PE teacher, pupils frequently inundate Mazza with requests for autographs, photographs and jerseys from the football stars his players come up against. Yesterday, he refused to divulge his particular Irish targets, but nevertheless he travels armed with a considerable list.

"We're only a small nation (61 square km) and an even smaller team that doesn't hold much hope of winning games," he says without a hint of bitterness. "We're used to losing and that is our reality, but for me it is important that we try to play well in every game and earn respect."

Respect - something San Marino have been afforded little or nothing of since their official inception in 1990. Perennial whipping boys, alongside Andorra and the Faroe Islands, Mazza's team of students, bank officials, swimming and fitness instructors are viewed by some stronger nations as nuisance in European football.

There have been repeated calls for the trio to join Luxembourg in pre-qualifying tournaments for international campaigns. Many feel there are grounds for justification. San Marino - an enclave in Italy - leaked 13 goals to Germany in their opening Euro 2008 qualifier and another seven followed against the Czechs.

Defeat is defeat, but a pasting is a pasting and of little benefit to anyone. Mazza, though, baulks at the suggestion.

"It is not right to divide the small nations from the bigger," he says. "San Marino should have the right to play in World and European competitions, the same as all the major nations, even if we lose often."

San Marino's only victory came by way of a 1-0 friendly win against Liechtenstein two years ago. It was 14 years in the making. "We didn't do anything special actually," Mazza said at the time. "We simply went to our usual restaurant afterwards, but obviously the atmosphere was a bit different this time. We had, after all, been dreaming of celebrating a win for such a long time."

Striker and current captain Andy Selva scored the winner that night. Although he plies his trade in Italy's Serie C, he is San Marino's greatest player and, indeed, their leading scorer with six goals. But, as Mazza is all too aware, don't expect to see him lording it at Lansdowne tonight.

"It is very difficult to play offensive as we spend so much time defending. Our goalkeeper is always our most important player."

San Marino Facts

*An enclave of Italy, San Marino is the third smallest nation in Europe after Monaco and Vatican City.

*San Marino has a population of 29,000 n Team founded in 1931, but not officially recognised by Fifa until 1988.

*San Marino hold the record for the fastest goal in World Cup qualification. Davide Gualtieri scored after 8.3 seconds against England in 1993, but they still lost 7-1.

*San Marino have played 36 European Championship matches and lost them all, scoring four goals while conceding 163.

*San Marino's only away goal in those 36 European games came against Finland in 1994 - a game they lost 4-1.