Football
PA Sport 9y

England's Roy Hodgson showed lack of respect - San Marino boss Manzaroli

Roy Hodgson's suggestion that the England cricket team could do a job against San Marino has not gone down well in the microstate, with those "bad" comments irking head coach Pierangelo Manzaroli.

Progress to next summer's European Championships will be assured should the Three Lions emerge victorious in Serravalle on Saturday evening.

Anything but three points against the side ranked 193rd in the world would represent the biggest shock in English football history, underlined by the fact San Marino are 100/1 with many bookmakers to win.

The country's entire population would fit into Derby's iPro Stadium and Hodgson joked during the summer that England's Ashes heroes could get a game.

Those comments were made in jest but Sammarinese head coach Manzaroli was not overly-happy with the perceived lack of respect.

"I know very well Roy Hodgson, and he's a very good person and well educated," he said.

"But when we are front of this media, with this exposure, you have to be careful what you say.

"We are much smaller than England, but we deserve respect like any country.

"I think it was a bit too much, too heavy, with what he said. It was very strong. Bad things, that he said."

Hodgson's words may rankle but they are unlikely to have any impact on the outcome of Saturday's game.

Manzaroli says he still respects the England manager "even if he says those kind of things" and is only focused on getting his team of amateurs to play as well as they can.

"Tomorrow's match will be very complicated," the San Marino head coach said. "We have to make a very good game in defence, to be very well organised in every point of view.

"We have to try not to see the enormous gap that exists between England and San Marino.

"It will be a special occasion, a special atmosphere, but the group, we are a professional group."

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