ITALY: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - Italian coach warns Spain will be harder than France

Record ID: 335104

  • Title: ITALY: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - Italian coach warns Spain will be harder than France
  • Date: 22nd June 2008
  • Summary: VIENNA, AUSTRIA (JUNE 21, 2008) (REUTERS) PAN OF STADIUM AND PITCH GROUP OF PLAYERS COLLECTING BALLS PLAYERS RUNNING GOALKEEPER GIANLUIGI BUFFON DRIBBLING BALL ITALIAN FLAG IN STADIUM WIDE OF ITALIAN, SPANISH AND UEFA FLAGS IN STADIUM PLAYERS GOING THROUGH WARM UP ROUTINE WIDE OF PLAYERS TRAINING ON PITCH DEFENDER GIANLUCA ZAMBROTTA TWO PLAYERS KICKING BALL CLOSE UP OF LE
  • Embargoed: 7th July 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAB30C6KMREDOPM9NNKGITJVZWU
  • Story Text: Italy coach Roberto Donadoni suggested on Saturday (June 21) that Spain will be a tougher opponent than France in the quarter final of Euro 2008.

    "Maybe Spain's players are less physical compared to France but their players are faster, quicker, so in that sense they can cause more difficulties for the defence," Donadoni told reporters in Vienna, where his team will face Spain on Sunday (June 22).
    The world champions, traditionally slow starters, lost their first group game 3-0 to Netherlands before drawing 1-1 with Romania and beating 10-man France 2-0.
    They lost 1-0 to Spain in a friendly in March but have consistently beaten them in major tournaments.
    World Cup-winners Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso are suspended for the match, but Donadoni said he had been thinking of omitting the under-par players in any case. It was unclear if he was being serious.

    "I was thinking, for your information, of leaving Pirlo and Gatuso out of this game anyway so the substitutions are completely in line with these disqualifications", he said.
    Donadoni's position is unclear if the Azzurri lose. He recently signed a two-year deal but an escape clause allows the coach or the Italian football federation to terminate the agreement if Euro 2008badly.
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