LAST 16 | ITALY-SPAIN
Pirlo: “Playing against Italy is never easy”
Andrea Pirlo, the charismatic mainstay in the Italian side for a decade, doesn’t believe Spain pose the same danger as four years ago when La Roja demolished the Azzurri 4-0 in the final of Euro 2012.
“Spain are the favourites because they still play the best football, but now you can try to play against them. At the last Euros that was almost impossible,” the midfielder told Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of Italy’s clash with Spain in the last 16 of Euro 2016.
“Playing against Italy is never easy and against the current azzurri side it's the same story,” the 2006 world champion said.
“It would have been a beautiful final and sweet revenge for us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do it in the last 16”, the midfielder said after being on the end of the 4-0 defeat in the final of Euro 2012.