Daniele De Rossi is delighted with the rate of progress Italy are enjoying after they sealed qualification for Euro 2012.
Giampaolo Pazzini’s only goal of the game against Slovenia was enough to see Cesare Prandelli’s men cross the line to Poland and Ukraine.
It was not the best performance from Italy despite enjoying the lions’ share of the ball, but the Roma midfielder believes the sceptre of dominance and expansion will continue in the run-up to next year’s tournament.
“This is a group which is always developing and things are going very well,” De Rossi is quoted as saying by La Repubblica.
“Thanks to the good work that we are doing we are always improving.”
De Rossi also praised Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli who played his part in Pazzini’s strike as his presence in the box distracted Slovenia players, leaving the Inter man to poke the ball home.
“We also showed that those who come on also make their contribution to the team, just like Balotelli,” he added.
The City forward came under a storm of crticism after appearing to carry an iPad with him on the bench last week against the Faroe Isles.
There was no such incident against Slovenia as Balotelli carried a football to the bench on Tuesday night.
But, the midfielder has watered down concerns regarding the youngster.
“There are always stories flying around that do not exist, many players go to the bench with headphones,” he concluded.
Italy play Serbia in their next group game in October, while De Rossi will be back in action for Roma on Sunday afternoon in Serie A.
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This article was originally posted by Salvatore Landolina
