After Italy’s 2-0 defeat of Spain, Emanuele Giaccherini was quick to heap praise on Azzurri shot-stopper Gianluigi Buffon.
The veteran goalkeeper pulled off a phenomenal save to deny Gerard Pique in the final moments of the game, before a quick counterattack resulted in Graziano Pelle doubling Italy’s lead and sealing the win.
“Buffon is still the best goalkeeper in the world,” Giaccherini told Rai Sport after the game. “He did not have to do a lot, but he made a huge difference for us.”
Giaccherini continued to send credit in the direction of the rest of his teammates, singling out their heart and determination to achieve the result.
“I spoke to the players before the game,” he said. “I told them we needed heart, because tactics can only take you so far, and we had heart.
“Spain only dominated towards the end of the second half, as we got too deep and they have exceptional players, but we had so many chances and could certainly have killed the game earlier.”
