Spain and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso spoke with regret after La Roja played their final game of the World Cup.
The reigning champions had been eliminated before Monday’s match with Australia following consecutive defeats to the Netherlands and Chile respectively.
“We reached our goal for today,” he said to the press after the game.
“We felt we had to win and end the tournament in the best possible way.”
Alonso, along with Iker Casillas was one of the players highlighted by many as being a key reason for Spain’s defeat to Chile.
“We leave with a bad taste in our mouth.
“We arrived late, what’s done is done.”
The 32-year-old spoke previously about there not being the same hunger for success in the camp as there was in South Africa in 2010 and went on to say they must rediscover that desire:
“Now we have to face the future with the same hunger of the past.”
Spain finished the group with a 3-0 defeat of Australia which clinched third place in Group B.
