A throwaway remark by England manager Roy Hodgson has provoked an angry reaction in San Marino, with the footballing minnows keen to get revenge when the two countries meet next week.
Hodgson visited the Oval last week to watch the England cricket team prepare for the fifth Ashes Test.
He also witnessed the Ashes winner take part in a warm-up match of football, telling the media afterwards that he and coach Ray Lewington had been "on the look-out for talent because we're playing San Marino so there might be a place or two available."
That joke has not gone down at all well in the microstate and San Marino manager Pier Angelo Manzaroli intends to ensure his side show up the England manager when they host Hodgson’s side on Saturday.
"It's a joke in bad taste," the manager told San Marino TV, "a lack of respect to a tiny movement which always behaved with great dignity and represents the purest expression of sport.
England v San Marino: Player Ratings
"I think the only point we got so far has a much higher value than England's six victories, if we consider the skills of the two teams. I hope it has been just a clumsy quote, otherwise... we'll try to answer him on the pitch."
England have won all of their six qualifying matches so far, scoring 18 goals in the process. A victory at the Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle would leave them needing just one point from their remaining three games to secure qualification to next summer’s tournament.
