Simone Zaza wants to atone for his Italy penalty miss, and admits he “didn’t adapt” to West Ham United.
The striker blazed a penalty over the bar against Germany in the Euro 2016 semi-final after a bizarre run-up, with Antonio Conte’s side exiting the tournament after a strong showing up to that point.
“You can’t forget things like that because they’re what you get remembered for in your career,” the Valencia forward admitted, speaking to FIFA’s official website.
Simone Zaza wants to atone for his Italy penalty miss, and admits he “didn’t adapt” to West Ham United.
The striker blazed a penalty over the bar against Germany in the Euro 2016 semi-final after a bizarre run-up, with Antonio Conte’s side exiting the tournament after a strong showing up to that point.
“You can’t forget things like that because they’re what you get remembered for in your career,” the Valencia forward admitted, speaking to FIFA’s official website.
“The only thing is, I know what happened and I’m not interested in what people say or in their negative thoughts. Ignorance is not a part of my life. I don’t want to go into that.
“As I’ve always said, what hurt most was not being able to go through because of that penalty, because we could have made it to the final.
“Could I get back into the squad? It goes without saying that being at the World Cup is one of my goals right now. It’s an important tournament that every player dreams of.
“The key is performing for your club and getting regular football.”
Zaza had an ill-fated six month spell at West Ham in England, and is looking to rebuild his career at Valencia.
“It’s very important to adapt in football, and I didn’t manage it [at West Ham]. I don’t know if it was me or because I didn’t understand them.
“Valencia? I arrived at a very tough time for the team, which was flirting with relegation. It was a tough time for me too, because I hadn’t played in the previous six months and I didn’t feel good.
“Let’s just say that I’ve been through so many experiences in the last year that it’s changed me a lot.”