QUOTEOFTHEDAY

■ “I’m sorry that my final game coincided with us not qualifying for the World Cup.

■ “I am not sorry for myself but all of Italian football.

■ “We failed at something which also means something on a social level.

■ “There’s regret at finishing like that, not because time passes.

■ “There is certainly a future for Italian football, as we have pride, ability, determination and after bad tumbles, we always find a way to get back on our feet.”

Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon on his side’s failure to qualify for the World Cup in Russia