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The coach of the Italian national team, Cesare Prandelli, admitted the superiority of the opponents after losing in the final of the European Championship.
The Italians, who were not among the favorites before the tournament, reached the final, but lost 0-4 to Spain, the defending champions.
"Maybe we didn't deserve such a defeat, but from the beginning everyone could see that the opponents were fresher," said Prandelli. "This week we used a lot of energy and didn't have time to recover, so once the score became 0-2, we couldn't expect anything else."
He added: "But this championship was wonderful for us, so I want to praise all the boys for their efforts."
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said: "The semifinal match against Germany was like a final for us, but tonight we couldn't do anything. They were too strong for us, and losing to such a powerful and invincible opponent might be a little less painful.
"The championship went very well for us. Of course, you always want to win in the final, but this is where the true level becomes clear. We fought against a team whose abilities are indescribable. I want to thank all the fans who didn't abandon us and supported us."
