LEIPZIG: The Italian press were in full agreement with manager Luciano Spalletti's damning assessment of his country's 1-0 loss to Spain on Thursday in Euro 2024, a scoreline which in no way reflected Spain's utter domination of the game.
Riccardo Calafiori's own goal was the only difference between the sides on the scoresheet, but the gulf in class was apparent to all, as a young, exciting, Spanish side threatened to run riot against what Spalletti described as a tired Italy.
"Little Italy" was the headline in La Gazzetta dello Sport which greeted Italians today, a clear indication of just how the Spanish had overrun Spalletti's jaded looking team.
The front page also told how "the Azzurri were never in the game", that keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma prevented a total collapse as Spain dominated Italy, but with a note of hope; "a draw with Croatia will be enough."
Former Italy and AC Milan manager Arrigo Sacchi, writing for La Gazzetta dello Sport, said that the difference between the two sides is enormous, but he feels that the manager is not at fault.
"(Spanish manager Luis) De la Fuente's national team plays dominant football, has technical and tactical knowledge, knows how to move and above all, does it with the right timings," Sacchi wrote.
"Italy, unfortunately, is not yet a team: it takes time, it takes patience. We should learn a lot from this defeat, and I hope that we will try to learn from the mistakes we have made and not be caught up in the usual presumption.
"Let's make one thing clear right away: Spalletti is not to blame. He is a coach who has been working for less than a year, he has inherited a complicated situation and is trying to give a style to a country that has never had one."
Tuttosport went with the headline: "And it still worked out well" - a clear reference to how Spain peppered Italy with 20 shots compared to Italy's four, but the Italians somehow escaped with a narrow defeat.
Corriere dello Sport went with the plain and simple "Reset", saying Italy need to forget the Spanish defeat, again referencing how Italy need just a draw to reach the last 16.
Outside of the sports media, the daily newspapers also featured Italy's downfall on the front pages. "Azzurri dominated, Spain are superior" read La Repubblica, with La Stampa going with "Spanish punishment."
La Stampa also referenced Italy's 4-0 humbling by Spain in the Euro 2012 final, "Only Donnarumma prevents the ghosts of 2012", with the keeper the only player to come away with any praise after the performance in Gelsenkirchen.
Italy are guaranteed second spot in Group B with a draw against Croatia in Leipzig on Monday, but the performance against Spain has severely tempered expectations back home as to how far Spalletti's side can go at Euro 2024. - REUTERS