Lorenzo Insigne explained his tactical role coming off the bench for Italy against the Republic of Ireland. “We are optimistic.”
The Azzurri suffered their first defeat of Euro 2016, falling 1-0 to a late Robbie Brady header, but were already sure of top spot in Group E.
Lorenzo Insigne explained his tactical role coming off the bench for Italy against the Republic of Ireland. “We are optimistic.”
The Azzurri suffered their first defeat of Euro 2016, falling 1-0 to a late Robbie Brady header, but were already sure of top spot in Group E.
“I think the whole team gave their all and we can have no regrets. I don’t know if you could tell from the TV, but the pitch was so bad we struggled to stay on our feet,” Insigne told Sky Sport Italia.
He came off the bench as a substitute and immediately curled a right-foot effort on to the base of the upright.
“I have always been at the disposal of the Coach in any role he wants to use me. I am here because I worked hard and won the Coach over in training.
“Before I went out, the Coach asked me to break off the lines, as the Irish defenders are physically strong and so I went between the lines to cause trouble there.
“We are optimistic going forward and this defeat certainly won’t bring our confidence down. We are a great squad and showed before that whoever scores, we are all happy.”
Italy will play Spain in the Round of 16 in Paris on Monday.