Fabio Borini says Italy Under-21 Coach Devis Mangia “was right to wait for me” after scoring the semi-final winner over Holland.
The Azzurrini will meet Spain in the European Championship Final on Tuesday after beating Holland 1-0.
Fabio Borini says Italy Under-21 Coach Devis Mangia “was right to wait for me” after scoring the semi-final winner over Holland.
The Azzurrini will meet Spain in the European Championship Final on Tuesday after beating Holland 1-0.
“It was important for me to play, I finished with cramp, but that’s fine,” Borini told Rai Sport.
“In all honesty, I couldn’t think after I scored the goal. I knew it would end this way and I’m happy for myself, but above all for my teammates.
“We ran into difficulties in the first half, but changed tactics after the break and that organisation took us to the victory.”
Liverpool forward Borini had been a huge doubt to feature in this tournament at all due to a series of injuries.
“Mangia was right to wait for me, although I made sure I was available too. I managed to recover quickly as I really wanted to be here and wanted to prove it was possible to emerge from a difficult situation.
“Will someone watch my performance and feel regret? I can only say they should’ve thought about that earlier. That’s true for me as it is for all of my Under-21 teammates.
“Don’t forget I went abroad because I had more chance of playing in the top flight.”
Now Italy face trophy holders Spain in the Final in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
“We have proved that everything is possible. Now we must recover and get off to a strong start in that game.”
Borini also spoke to Sky Sports and confessed “this goal means everything: the past, the present and the future. The whole group of players is absolutely amazing.
“I was waiting for this tournament since the beginning of the season and I’ve been preparing for this since I got my shoulder injury, so it was three months of preparation.
“To score the semi-final goal that gets us to the Final is very important for me. The tension is so high and the prize of this game is so very high, especially for us. All the big players thought we were nothing, but we showed them that we can beat them.
“The Final will not be easier than this. Spain are playing to defend their title, whereas we have nothing to lose.”