Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti comments ahead of Euro 2024 have resurfaced after Italy were knocked out by Switzerland.
Luciano Spaletti’s men needed a 98th minute winner against Croatia in the group stage to progress directly to the knockout stages and were drawn against the Swiss who have been the surprise package of the tournament so far.
Switzerland dominated from the first minute against the defending champions and were rewarded for their efforts with a first-half goal from Nottingham Forest man Remo Freuler.
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Seconds into the second-half, Augsburg forward Ruben Vargas doubled their advantage with a stunning strike and the underdogs cruised into the last eight to send Italy home.
The result will be a massive disappointment for Spaletti but it might not have been a surprise to Real Madrid boss Ancelotti who gave his verdict on the Italian squad prior to the tournament.
The ex-AC Milan stated the current crop of players lacked genuine world-class talent and would need more time before challenging for honours at a major tournament.
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“I don’t see top-class players except Donnarumma in goal,” he told La Repubblica newspaper.
“I am talking about a generation like Pirlo, Totti, and Del Piero.
“More time is needed.”
Ancelotti added that there are still quality players in the ranks and suggested the squad could have done better than how they eventually fared.
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He added: “The average is still good and the team can do well.”
After the crushing defeat, Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Donnarumma issued a passionate apology to the Italian supporters.
He said: “We can just say sorry to our fans.
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“It's unacceptable, we were poor throughout the match. This is the reality.
“We were terrible in the first half. This is reality, we must accept it.”
Switzerland will face either England or Slovakia in the quarter-finals of the competition, looking to build on their impressive performances so far.
Topics: Euro 2024, Italy, Switzerland, Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, Gianluigi Donnarumma
Marcus Banks