The Great San Marino Challenge
The challenge is two-fold looking to achieve domestic success in the Italian leagues with a Sammarise club whilst also developing exciting players who can help lift the National Team up. Throughout the save I'll be focusing on a number of 'achievements' listed below as a measure of success.
Rules
1. No save scumming
2. No custom tactics - everything will be designed by myself (this includes abusing set pieces)
3. I will start with no coaching/managerial experience and will need to complete my badges along the way
4. I won't start as the San Marino national coach and will apply for the job off my merit
5. If I am sacked by the club/national team I will have to wait until I am re-employed by them
San Marino is a small micro-state located within Italy, notoriously known as the 'worst' footballing nation according to FIFA's National Rankings which places them (as of writing) at 210th out of 210. The micro-state itself has a population of approximately 35,000 making it about 10 times less dense than Newcastle as a comparison. Whilst everything appears to be negative, San Mario finds itself abundantly wealthy with no national debt and a solid economy based on finance, tourism and services.
San Marino Calcio
Founded in 1959, then again in 1973 and most recently in 2000. It is the only football club based in the Republic of San Marino that is eligible to play in the Italian football league.
The club plays at the Stadio Olimpico which has an all-seater 7,000 seater stadium.
In 2014, the San Marino national team gained their first ever European Championship qualification point here, in a 0–0 draw with Estonia.
The club itself has two Serie D titles one in 1987-1988 and the other in 1999-2000 falling just short in 1986-1987 as runners up. And their most recently success was finishing runners up in the Serie C2 in 2011-12.
For those who don't know much about Italian Football (like me). Here is the tier system as I know it.
Serie A - 1st Division - 20 Teams
1st, 2nd and 3rd - Champions League
4th - Champions League Playoff Spot
5th - Europa League
6th - Europa League Play Off Spot
7th - Europa Conference League
Bottom 3 Teams Relegated
Serie B - 2nd Division - 20 Teams
1st and 2nd - Promoted to the Serie A
3rd - 8th - Play in the 6 team knock out play-off with only one team winning promotion
16th, 17th and 18th - play relegation play-off
19th - 20th - relegated to Serie C
Serie C - 3rd division
3 Divisions of 20 Teams
Champions of Division promoted to Serie B
2nd - 9th play play offs for promotion
16th - 19th - relegation Play Off
20th is relegated to Serie D
Serie D - 4th division (non-professional)
9 Divisions with 166 teams
1st - Promoted to Serie C
15th - 18th Relegated to the Eccllenza
Achievements
Promotion from Serie D (L4) - 2021/22
Promotion from Lega Pro (L3) -
Promotion from Serie B (L2) -
Qualify for TIM Cup Final -
Qualify for Europa League -
Qualify for Champions League -
Win TIM Cup -
Win Europa League -
Win Serie A -
Win Champions League -
Win FIFA World Club Cup -
Win Serie A with Sammarinese Only Squad -
Win Champions League with Sammarinese Only Squad -
Youth Teams
Win U20's Division 1 Title -
Win Italian U20's Cup -
Win U20's Super Cup -
Win U20's Champions League -
Win U18's Division 1 Title -
Win U18's Super Cup -
International Achievements.
Win a Competitive Fixture -
Promotion in The Nations League -
Break into FIFA top 150 -
Break into FIFA top 100 -
Break Into FIFA top 75 -
Break Into FIFA top 50 -
Break Into FIFA top 25
Break Into FIFA top 10 -
Break Into FIFA Top 5 -
Become Number 1 ranked Team -
Qualify For European Championships -
Qualify For FIFA World Cup -
Win European Championships -
Win FIFA World Cup -
Youth Teams
Qualify for U19'S EUROS -
Qualify for U20'S World Cup -
Qualify for U21'S EUROS -
Invited to French Youth Invitational -
Qualify For Olympic Games -
Win U19'S EUROS -
Win U20'S World Cup -
Win U21'S EUROS -
Win French Youth Invitational -
Win Olympic Gold -
Founded in 1959, then again in 1973 and most recently in 2000. It is the only football club based in the Republic of San Marino that is eligible to play in the Italian football league.
The club plays at the Stadio Olimpico which has an all-seater 7,000 seater stadium.
In 2014, the San Marino national team gained their first ever European Championship qualification point here, in a 0–0 draw with Estonia.
The club itself has two Serie D titles one in 1987-1988 and the other in 1999-2000 falling just short in 1986-1987 as runners up. And their most recently success was finishing runners up in the Serie C2 in 2011-12.
For those who don't know much about Italian Football (like me). Here is the tier system as I know it.
Serie A - 1st Division - 20 Teams
1st, 2nd and 3rd - Champions League
4th - Champions League Playoff Spot
5th - Europa League
6th - Europa League Play Off Spot
7th - Europa Conference League
Bottom 3 Teams Relegated
Serie B - 2nd Division - 20 Teams
1st and 2nd - Promoted to the Serie A
3rd - 8th - Play in the 6 team knock out play-off with only one team winning promotion
16th, 17th and 18th - play relegation play-off
19th - 20th - relegated to Serie C
Serie C - 3rd division
3 Divisions of 20 Teams
Champions of Division promoted to Serie B
2nd - 9th play play offs for promotion
16th - 19th - relegation Play Off
20th is relegated to Serie D
Serie D - 4th division (non-professional)
9 Divisions with 166 teams
1st - Promoted to Serie C
15th - 18th Relegated to the Eccllenza
Achievements
Promotion from Lega Pro (L3) -
Promotion from Serie B (L2) -
Qualify for TIM Cup Final -
Qualify for Europa League -
Qualify for Champions League -
Win TIM Cup -
Win Europa League -
Win Serie A -
Win Champions League -
Win FIFA World Club Cup -
Win Serie A with Sammarinese Only Squad -
Win Champions League with Sammarinese Only Squad -
Youth Teams
Win U20's Division 1 Title -
Win Italian U20's Cup -
Win U20's Super Cup -
Win U20's Champions League -
Win U18's Division 1 Title -
Win U18's Super Cup -
International Achievements.
Win a Competitive Fixture -
Promotion in The Nations League -
Break into FIFA top 150 -
Break into FIFA top 100 -
Break Into FIFA top 75 -
Break Into FIFA top 50 -
Break Into FIFA top 25
Break Into FIFA top 10 -
Break Into FIFA Top 5 -
Become Number 1 ranked Team -
Qualify For European Championships -
Qualify For FIFA World Cup -
Win European Championships -
Win FIFA World Cup -
Youth Teams
Qualify for U19'S EUROS -
Qualify for U20'S World Cup -
Qualify for U21'S EUROS -
Invited to French Youth Invitational -
Qualify For Olympic Games -
Win U19'S EUROS -
Win U20'S World Cup -
Win U21'S EUROS -
Win French Youth Invitational -
Win Olympic Gold -
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