“The result isn’t a reflection of our efforts, but we’re happy with our performance. We had a number of chances and were limited slightly by the poor condition of the pitch.” Following Italy’s 0-0 draw against Poland, Roberto Mancini wasn’t looking for excuses but couldn’t ignore an obvious fact, one which had a big impact on the game.

“The pitch isn’t an excuse, but we did make mistakes as a result of it,” the Head Coach continued. “We were constantly on the attack and had opportunities, but we weren’t able to find the net. It happens. We should have been two or three goals up at the break, but let’s be patient.”

Mancini stood by his selection for the game: “Belotti was the right choice: he played well, it wasn’t an easy game. Pellegrini has returned following surgery, he couldn’t have played any longer. Kean also did well, everybody impressed. And playing in front of a crowd was great.”

Acerbi also shared the Head Coach’s thoughts: “We were just missing a goal.” The Lazio defender had the task of dealing with Poland’s biggest threat, namely Lewandowski: “He’s a great striker, but we played our game. It was certainly the case that the pitch conditions weren’t the best. The ball bounced poorly, we tried to do what we could by playing as we know, with quality.”

“The 0-0 draw is a shame because we created a lot, we just weren’t able to score,” said Verratti. We played well and the result leaves us slightly disappointed. We have reached a good level now and, even against excellent sides like Poland, try to play like we know how, something which makes us proud. Our next game will be against the Netherlands, and we know that they’re the team that we’ll be fighting it out with to finish top of the group. We’ll try to do our best.”