Northern Ireland v San Marino: Roberto di Maio on becoming oldest debutant aged 40
- Published
Roberto di Maio has been part of a San Marino defence that has conceded 21 goals in six Euro 2024 qualifiers
Life begins at 40, the saying goes.
While that's usually not the case in professional football, San Marino defender Roberto di Maio is still going strong and enjoying new experiences.
When he started their Euro 2024 qualifier against Northern Ireland in March, he became the oldest man to make his senior international debut in Uefa competition aged 40 years and 193 days.
The subsequent 2-0 loss was no surprise. The rank minnows of international football have not won in 132 games and are positioned 207th and last in the Fifa world rankings.
But that has not deterred Di Maio, with the 41-year-old now set to feature in Saturday's reverse fixture at Windsor Park.
"I was hugely proud to play for San Marino," he said. "It was one of those games where I didn't need to psyche myself up. My adrenalin was so high, I could have run for two hours without stopping.
"Perhaps some people might think 'what on earth are you doing, playing for San Marino who lose all their games?' But whoever says that doesn't know what it means to play international football."
'We certainly don't do it for the money'
Di Maio settled in the tiny, mountainous republic, surrounded by Italy, in 2003 and met his wife Cristina, one of 33,700 Sammarinese citizens, while playing domestic football.
It was the beginning of a journeyman career in which the centre-back has played more than 560 games, notably lining up in Serie B with Nocerina and also turning out for Lecce and Catanzaro.
Di Maio was officially naturalised in January 2023 after the requisite 10 years of marriage, plus another year's delay because of administrative reasons.
He now plies his trade for SS Cosmos in San Marino's amateur league championship. Only two current national squad members are professional. Training regularly takes place in the evening as the others have jobs - such as car salesman, accountant and painter-decorator - or attend university.
"We certainly don't do it for the money, it's for a passion we have," he said. "I've lived here for many years, San Marino adopted me and has become my home."
He works at the country's football federation as an academy coach, overseeing the under-17 team. When he first joined the San Marino team for training, he encountered several of his former pupils. "In the first session, I told them: 'From now on, you don't have to call me gaffer, it's Roberto,'" he said.
'If we sacrifice we can get a positive result... like losing 4-0 to Denmark'
Di Maio has played all six of San Marino's Euro 2024 qualifiers this year. In front of 36,000 fans in Copenhagen, he came up against Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen, an example who, he tells his younger charges, "embodies football".
The centre-back knows he is always in for 90 minutes of one-way traffic.
"Mentally, we prepare for a defensive game and go in with a different spirit. Without that, we'd let in 10 goals," he said.
"If we can focus, sacrifice and help one another, we can get a positive result. That could be losing 4-0 to Denmark or only conceding 60 minutes in against Slovenia," he added, referring to Euro 2024 qualifying games this year.
San Marino defender Roberto di Maio shares a word with Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen
Since making their official debut in 1990, San Marino's only victory was a 1-0 win against Liechtenstein in 2004. There was hope they could add another against fellow underdogs Seychelles and St Lucia last year, but the three friendlies ended in two draws and a defeat.
"It's been an eternity," Di Maio said. "The players and staff are eagerly awaiting a moment of joy that we can celebrate. It would be huge."
"In the qualifiers, it's difficult because we're playing top and second-rung teams. It's damage limitation in these. So the expectation will probably be higher in the Nations League, where maybe we're against teams who are closer to us. Even if they're ahead of us, we can play in a different way."
It will be a massive ask to end their winless streak against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park on Saturday.
"Like every team facing San Marino, Northern Ireland will want to not just win, but have a landslide victory," Di Maio added. "It's down to us to exploit that. The more time goes by, the more nervous they'll get. If we manage to hold the match in deadlock, maybe we can come away with a good result. That would be a dream."
'There's always a romantic part that can't be forgotten in football'
Their abject record has led to some people questioning their presence in competitions.
After England beat San Marino 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier in 2021, Gary Lineker called the contest "pointless" and suggested that that lowest-ranked nations should face off to earn the right to play at that level.
"I don't think it's fair to take away the dream of any nation," Di Maio said. "In my view, there's always a romantic part that can't be forgotten in football. San Marino has every right, like many other little nations, to play against big countries.
"They still have to win games on the field and show they're the champions they are."
With a population smaller than that of Accrington, there are limits on how far San Marino can progress. Di Maio believes the answer lies in building their youth base and sending players to Italy to gain professional experience.
"We need to slowly improve to be a bit more competitive, at least with those teams closer to us in size and population," he said. "To try to get better in some way, playing friendlies and getting results. Seeing it from the inside a bit, we are making positive changes."
As for the veteran's own future, he is determined to enjoy every moment in San Marino's sky blue kit.
"I hope that I can inspire people who see me, with this passion and desire to play and train hard at 41, and pass that on to the youngest kids who want to be footballers," he said.
"The moment I realise my body can't do the things my mind asks, I'll pack it in. I'm taking it day by day, match by match - and I'm loving it."
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