Reputation
Andorra's dismal record gives them a lowly reputation in world football. The nation has only won one competitive fixture, a 1–0 World Cup qualifying win against Macedonia. With the fourth smallest population of any UEFA country, the talent pool is small. Players are predominantly amateurs because the Andorra domestic league is only part-time. In September 2011, Andorra were last in the FIFA World Rankings, tied for 203. Since Andorra began playing in 1996 their average FIFA ranking is 163.
Opponents anticipate easy wins in matches against Andorra and failure to win comfortably can reflect poorly on a team. In March 2007, coach Steve McClaren and his England team received abuse from supporters during a 3–0 win against the Andorrans. McClaren walked out of the post-match press conference after only two minutes of questions, saying, "Gentlemen, if you want to write whatever you want to write, you can write it because that is all I am going to say. Thank you."
When interviewed at half time by ITV Sport after collecting his belated 1966 World Cup winners medal for England, Jimmy Greaves reckoned Andorra were poor to a level that he and his World Cup colleagues would have beaten them. Greaves was quoted asking "Have you ever seen a team this bad at Wembley?".
Read more about this topic: Andorra National Football Team
Famous quotes containing the word reputation:
“Our culture, therefore, must not omit the arming of the man. Let him hear in season, that he is born into the state of war, and that the commonwealth and his own well-being require that he should not go dancing in the weeds of peace, but warned, self- collected, and neither defying nor dreading the thunder, let him take both reputation and life in his hand, and, with perfect urbanity, dare the gibbet and the mob by the absolute truth of his speech, and the rectitude of his behaviour.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“From the moment a child begins to speak, he is taught to respect the word; he is taught how to use the word and how not to use it. The word is all-powerful, because it can build a man up, but it can also tear him down. That’s how powerful it is. So a child is taught to use words tenderly and never against anyone; a child is told never to take anyone’s name or reputation in vain.”
—Henry Old Coyote (20th century)
“Men will not give up their privilege of helplessness without a struggle. The average man has a carefully cultivated ignorance about household matters—from what to do with the crumbs to the grocer’s telephone number—a sort of cheerful inefficiency which protects him better than the reputation for having a violent temper.”
—Crystal Eastman (1881–1928)