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:
“The reputation of a man is like his shadow; it sometimes follows and sometimes precedes him, sometimes longer and sometimes shorter than his natural size.”
—French Proverb. Quoted in Dictionary of Similes, ed. Frank J. Wilstach (1916)
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