They have long been called the world’s worst football team.

Up until last week, they had gone on a 20-year, 140-game winless streak - during which the Germans thrashed them 13-0 on one occasion.

So why have I spent thousands of pounds following them around Europe? Good question.

To be honest, being there for the moment when San Marino finally claimed victory has been something of an obsession for this Kent-based reporter.

And last Thursday I joined the 900-or-so-strong crowd at the Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle to witness history in the making.

It was a true clash of the titans as San Marino, ranked 210th in the world, took on Liechtenstein, ranked 199th.

We took the lead in the 53rd minute and held on to win 1-0, our first-ever competitive victory. Indeed, it was only San Marino’s second-ever win, beating Liechtenstein by the same scoreline in a friendly back in 2004.

The roar around the stadium when the final whistle was blown could silence a crowd 10 times the size. Throughout the game I was on edge as the reality of what I was witnessing hit me.

Not everybody shared this joy. Liechtenstein fans have declared it the darkest day in their history. The torch has finally been passed on.

Watching the win was a euphoric experience, one I’ve never really felt following the England team. Perhaps it’s why I find myself ditching my birth country to go on trips to San Marino every chance I get.

For £10.50 a ticket yards away from the pitch, it’s remarkably well-priced. Similar tickets at Wembley would cost at least £65 and come with the trauma of trying to navigate the Underground with 80,000 other spectators.

Hard-earned holidays with family and friends to visit the wonders of the world? No thanks, I’ve got San Marino vs Malta to watch.

Not to say San Marino isn’t wonderful in its own right. It’s a beautiful, quiet place to visit where I can walk freely and spend time taking in the stunning views and enjoying the fresh air.

While further down the hill, people aren’t exactly breaking down the doors to get a seat in the stadium, there is certainly a growing interest in this little country’s football fortunes.

I once spotted comedian Mark Watson at a game with his brother, while various fan accounts are dedicated to spreading the word of the San Marino national team far and wide.

Though it’s taken me a few years to finally see the team win, it’s nothing compared to the two decades of torment endured by long-suffering supporters.

I don’t like to think of how much I’ve spent over the past few years in the hope of being a part of that ever-elusive victory.

However, a rough estimate would be thousands of pounds on multiple short trips to a country so small it doesn’t even have an airport.

To get there requires a flight to ideally Rimini but more likely Bologna or even Ancona.

Rimini is the closest and offers a bus journey up to San Marino but is a seasonal airport.

Then it’ll be a second-class train for an hour and a half in either way to reach Rimini – though for 10 Euros it is fantastically priced and the UK could learn a lot from the way things are done over there.

From the seaside town, which was apparently quite the party place in its prime, is a coach journey up the hills which can take between 30 minutes to an hour depending on where you need to stop.

San Marino itself is largely based on a mountain, with small pockets of land surrounding Monte Titano all contributing to the 23 square miles of land which makes up the world’s oldest republic.

My love for this micronation with a population of 33,000 – little more than half the size of Sittingbourne or Margate – is thanks to a couple of factors.

Part of it was seeing England take on San Marino in qualifying games years ago, where it was certain the Three Lions would get goals. Nowadays I pray the scoreline is respectable.

Another part of it was thanks to Football Manager, where one of the hardest challenges put together by the video game’s avid fanbase includes winning the World Cup with the world’s lowest-ranked football team.

While my misguided hopes of achieving citizenship in order to play for the nation never stood a chance, the next best thing soon proved to be something which helped me recapture my love for the sport in a world full of VAR gaffes and sideways passing.

But will San Marino’s historic victory stop me from going again? Not likely – I’ve already booked myself in for the next three games.

So roll on Gibraltar away in October and the return leg in Liechtenstein in November, and let’s hope the wait for another win isn’t another 20 years.