The Italian coach clashes with De la Fuente

The match between Spain and Italy in the first phase of the U21 Euro Cup was not without controversy. The Azzurra team finished with nine players and the national team with ten, due to a debatable expulsion from Mingueza. De la Fuente ended the game very annoying and at a press conference he poured harsh words against the rival's attitude with phrases like “a team that is dedicated to hitting”, “they throw all their work on the floor in an unsporting way”, “grotesque situations”, “it is very unfair to the team that wants to play soccer“…

The reaction of Paolo Nicolato, coach of the Italian Under-21, has not been long in coming. The coach is also forceful when it comes to responding to De la Fuente and defending his pupils. “I'm sorry he said that. Passion and the desire to arrive are values. I don't think I have seen a single violent intervention. On the contrary, perhaps they have also accentuated them a bit. Perhaps he, coming from so many games in a row scoring a goal .. . I was injured: I can't score, so I accuse you of unsportsmanlike. Oh no … we did it with the best of our efforts. We were aggressive, but we never hurt. “

“Aggression and determination are values ​​that I appreciate because they tell me that the players are caring about what they do, about marking their destinies. I would never accept unsportsmanlike behavior. The feeling I have is that this is a major event and shouldn't be a pilot project to experiment with. Physical contact is part of our sport. They only shot us at the door when they had numerical superiority, “he closes.

In this crossover of statements, there is no hidden more profit than the point that both added after their direct confrontation. Now, they must forget what happened and think about reaching the quarterfinals. Spain will achieve it if they draw against the Czech Republic and will lose their place if they lose and both the Czechs and Italy win their match.. Nicolato's team, meanwhile, will have the place assured if they win.