San Marino's moment: Legends Bonini and De Angelis on hosting a historic Regions' Cup
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
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So what does it mean for San Marino to host their first entire UEFA final tournament? A huge amount, say Sammarinese legend Massimo Bonini and goalkeeper Mirco De Angelis.
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Massimo Bonini is perhaps the greatest player San Marino has produced. A serial winner, he was in the engine room of the great Juventus side that swept all before them in the 80s, picking up a European Cup, three Scudetti and much more.
Now 65, he could be forgiven for a measured approach to his country’s first ever finals, but instead the pride and excitement is palpable from the former national team boss. For every Sammarinese, this is their time to shine.
Mirco De Angelis knows this as well as anyone. The goalkeeper was ever-present during qualifying for San Marino, conceding just twice in three games as they became the first side from the world’s fifth smallest nation to qualify for a UEFA final tournament. The 25-year-old, already on the fringes of the senior national team, shares Bonini’s buzz with football in the country on a high following the national team’s first two competitive wins, both against Liechtenstein in the UEFA Nations League. Here the pair discuss hosting the UEFA Regions’ Cup.
What does it mean for San Marino to host the Regions’ Cup?
Massimo Bonini: It’s great; all credit to the San Marino Football Federation. The Regions’ Cup will give real exposure to our beautiful nation and what it has to offer visitors, from the inspiring landscape to the medieval city centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site. When I used to play, any time I had the chance to come back home from Bologna or Turin I felt great emotion seeing Monte Titano and the Three Towers; they seemed hand painted on the sky.
Mirco De Angelis: The Regions’ Cup is something to be proud of for San Marino; for the players, technical staff and the country as a whole. We’ll play in front of our supporters, friends and families, and it will be extra motivation for us. Our performance in November’s intermediate round has helped raise confidence in our abilities. But at the end of the day, we are still a brand-new squad who hadn’t played together until last year. The final tournament will be a big step up.
What makes the Regions’ Cup special?
MB: Football is football, regardless of the amount of money generated or the audience involved: it’s about on-pitch actions, dressing room preparations and relationships. The Regions’ Cup is a great stage for the eight teams to showcase their skills, play for an international trophy and even – for players involved – to shine and boost their careers.
MDA: It also helps us to assess where we’re at by playing other amateurs from all over Europe. It is always inspiring to compare your team’s skills.
What are you most looking forward to?
MDA: Our aim is to pick up where we left off in November. We will need our team spirit and cohesion when the games get complicated, and to tap into the winning mindset we demonstrated in the intermediate round, when we went into every game aiming for victory. This approach can hopefully take us all the way. Whatever happens, it will be a positive experience to take into the rest of our careers.
MB: I’m thrilled that the tournament will bring so many people to the country. Football is a massive communication tool, and the nation will benefit. It is common to hear that small states can’t organise and host big events because of a lack of venues and resources. The San Marino Football Federation demonstrated that it is possible by co-hosting the Under-21 EURO with Italy in 2019, and now they solely deliver an international tournament for the first time. It will be amazing seeing the nation’s daily routine changing for a couple of weeks.
Massimo, how far has football in San Marino come since you were a player?
MB: Football in San Marino has come on a lot. The championship has developed significantly in terms of quality, and it is no longer a pipe dream that one day we will have a team in a UEFA club competition league phase, or that San Marino will win several matches and qualify for the Regions’ Cup finals! Not to mention the recent victories in the Nations League.
On those victories, how important is the new Nations League for a country like San Marino?
MDA: Several months ago, San Marino celebrated its first competitive win, doubling that tally in November. It has been a great period for Sammarinese football; we’re making giant strides. The Nations League has been great for San Marino. By giving teams chance to play opponents of a similar level, small-sized countries like ours can get used to winning and even dream of qualifying for a major tournament. Recent results demonstrate all the improvements Sammarinese players and staff have made, underlined by our historic promotion to League C.
MB: I love it when we face big teams like England, France or Germany, even if a victory is pretty much impossible for us. In the Nations League, though, San Marino are facing sides on a similar level. We can score, keep clean sheets and even win matches and earn promotion. We broke the hoodoo of always losing, showed how good our youngsters are and how competitive we can be in more even games.
Massimo, what advice would you give players at the Regions’ Cup?
MB: Make the most every minute of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – both on the pitch and off the pitch. Enter the stadium focused on having fun and fear no one: football is about passion and fun; there should never be space for tension or fear. The players will be representing their nations on the international stage; I am sure they will all honour the competition and the system they’re part of.