Tre Fiori fired up for Valletta encounter
Monday, July 25, 2011
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UEFA.com goes behind the scenes at SP Tre Fiori as the Sammarinese champions prepare for the opening leg of their first qualifying round tie against Valletta FC. See how they fared.
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In the second instalment of our behind-the-scenes documentary, UEFA.com learns how the UEFA Champions League impacts on teams at the other end of the spectrum from FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC.
The lowest-ranked side in the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round, even Malta's Valletta FC represented powerful opposition for San Marinese FC champions SP Tre Fiori. In their first competitive game under new coach Paolo Tarini, they welcomed the Maltese titleholders to the Stadio Olimpico in Serravalle for the first leg, with UEFA.com's cameras there to savour the atmosphere.
"The lads are ready," said Tarini before kick-off. "They are proud and all pumped up, because it will be a nice match whatever the result. To tell you the truth, I was hoping for different weather; it's really hot, and it will be even more sticky tonight for the match. As we haven't worked a lot on fitness maybe we could face some problems with endurance."
Watch our film to find out how Tre Fiori fared against Valletta.
