Twenty years without a success, then an unprecedented exploit. San Marino, long considered the weakest European national team, now rediscovers itself as a winner: it triumphed in Group 1 of League D of the Nations League, earning a historic – and unthinkable – promotion to League C for the next edition. And among the happy faces of the Titano is Nicola Nanni, a Torres forward and the only professional called up by coach Roberto Cevoli (a former defender with experience in Serie A and B) . He scored two key goals, both from the penalty spot, in the two final days of this break: on Friday in the 91st minute for the 1-1 draw against Gibraltar, on Monday in the 66th minute for the lead over Liechtenstein, in the 1-3 that made history for San Marino because it was worth the victory of the group.

"It's a joy we've never felt before, it will remain etched in my memory forever," Nanni told Rtv . "Perhaps it was one of the most beautiful days on a sporting level, for me personally but I think also for the federation. It's an acknowledgement that we want to share with the whole country, a journey that in my opinion started a long time ago: we must thank those who were there before us, who have always followed us."

Nanni arrived at Torres in the summer, after a previous experience in Sardinia in the last two seasons at Olbia, also in Serie C. So far with the rossoblù he has scored only once, on September 24 to open the 1-2 victory over Sestri Levante, while his previous goal for the national team dates back to 2021. And he was unable to play in Sunday's defeat against Virtus Entella precisely because he was in the national team . Now, however, together with his teammates, he has become a hero: yesterday almost 5,000 people for the party at the San Marino Stadium . A sensational feat, for a team that until September 5 (1-0 again against Liechtenstein) had not won in 141 games and had conceded 568 goals. And that on Monday won for the first time away from home, in a comeback, scoring at least three goals and with more than one goal difference.

"We stuck to our concepts, that was the fundamental thing," Nanni's assessment of Monday's match. "We went down with a wonder goal even though we could have done it first. Decisions are made on incidents, but we got through by getting results and with our concepts: playing the ball and going to get them high. In addition to the victory, what we did on the pitch must remain." Now for Nanni and San Marino, a sensational glimmer of hope opens up for the next World Cup, because if at least 10 of the 14 winners of the Nations League groups were to finish in the top two places in the qualifying groups for 2026, it would be San Marino that would be fished out for the playoffs . In other words: it would be two games away from another historic milestone.

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