Italy need to be extraordinary

ANTONIO CONTE has warned his Italian players they will need to find something ‘extraordinary’ to gain revenge over champions Spain and knock them out of the tournament.

Italy are still smarting at the way they were beaten 4-0 by the Spanish in the final of Euro 2012 and finally have a chance to put things right when the two teams meet in Lille today in a last-16 tie.

However Italy coach Conte, above, says it will be no easy task even if many of Spain’s golden generation – such as Raul, Carles Puyol, Xavi and Xabi Alonso – are no longer with them, and the 2016 version is still finding its feet.

He said: “We have great respect for Spain – for me they are one of the strongest teams in

LAST 16

the world and favourites for this tournament.

“So we’ve worked, we’ve prepared, and we need to provide a response on the field if we want to beat them.

“We need to pull off something extraordinary because, for this match, the ordinary is not enough. I’m sure the boys are capable of doing that.”

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is not planning big changes despite a surprise loss to Croatia, after starting the tournament on fire.

The Croatia defeat cost them top spot in their group, leaving the team facing Italy earlier than was necessary.

But Del Bosque, who quits as international boss after the Euros – as does Chelsea-bound Conte – won’t panic.

He said: “We lost our World Cup opener against Switzerland in 2010 but hardly changed anything afterwards.

“We played with the same players and in the same way, because it was the way we’d played that had got us there in the first place.

“So we kept going and we intend to do that this time round.”

Del Bosque has, however, had to quell rumours Manchester United keeper David De Gea was criticised in the dressing room for his display against Croatia and could be dropped. “It’s all lies,” he told a Spanish radio station.