Fans launch campaign to get San Marino included in FIFA 17

Fans have launched a campaign to have Europe's least successful international team included in FIFA 17.

The tiny republic of San Marino is represented by a side that in 26 years has never won a competitive match, and even in friendlies has only a single victory to its name: a 1-0 triumph over Liechtenstein in April 2004.

Yet a dedicated group of supporters think its time the minnows were rewarded for nearly three decades of unmerited graft with a spot on the international teams list in EA's next virtual football offering. To that end, they've coined the social media hashtag #SanMarinoEnElFIFA17, and set up a change.org petition (which is on the verge of 300 signatures), in the hope of attracting the Canadian publisher's attention.

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Requests for San Marino to appear in the game stretch back more than a decade. For FIFA 09 two Polish gamers even made a special (if not necessarily legal) patch dedicated to the team, titled – see what they've done here? – the San Marino Patch.

EA has traditionally positioned FIFA as a club-focussed game, with last year's edition featuring 48 men's and 12 women's international sides.

However, we already know that list is expanding to include the Norway ladies' squad. So maybe – although it is a big maybe, admittedly – there is a smidgen of hope for a team that scored its first away goal in 14 years against Lithuania last September.

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