23.8.07

Buffon Slams Azzurri Display


Italy number one Gianluigi Buffon has slammed his team's poor showing in the shock 3-1 defeat to Hungary in Budapest.

Italy took the lead in the 49th minute through Antonio Di Natale, but three goals in sixteen minutes saw Hungary come back to heap a humiliating defeat on them.

"Certainly we expected to be in poor shape physically, even though after taking the lead we could have had at least a draw with a little more determination," said an unhappy Buffon after the game.

"We made the mistake of thinking our work was done and were punished by their hunger.

"I understand we are lacking in fitness at the moment, but we can always make up for that a little bit with more determination and grit.

"I think that after nights like this the media will always look to find fault with individuals, but I think we can only all come together and apologise, take our responsibility and work for the future."

He also spoke about whether the Azzurri will be able to recover in time for the Euro qualifiers against France and Ukraine.

"Will 15 days be enough to face France? They have to be," he said. "We know how important these games are and that we have to play our best and hope to get the results we want against France and Ukraine.

"We do have to evaluate how we work together as a team and I think that’s what really went wrong tonight – we were not as compact as we were in our last outing. That is something we have to work on in the next two weeks."

The problem, of course, is that the two weeks comprise of two rounds of Serie A action, with the likes of Inter, Lazio, Milan and Roma all involved in games during the middle of next week as well.

The two weeks will see Antonio Cassano's make his debut following his return to Italy, and the forward is one of many who could force their way into the Italy squad.

"I think it depends only on him," said Buffon. "Mother nature has given him many qualities and skills, but he now has to make the most of them. He needs to prove he is the champion we always said he was. He is a lovely, generous lad."

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