Luis de la Fuente, Spain coach:
“[The Croatia win] was a complete performance inspired by the competitive genes which run through this team, both the young guys and the experienced ones who’ve won almost everything in football but are still super hungry and committed. I want to emphasise the attitude, generosity and ambition of this team: they are unquenchable traits.”
Luciano Spalletti, Italy coach:
“I’ve been through some important games but this is right up there. This is one of those matches that could give the players a tale to tell in the future. Spain have got everything, absolutely everything. They always do things in the same way, and we need to more reactive. I’m curious to see what happens when they press with 11 men, how we respond to that.”
Spalletti is also eager to see how Italy measure up against a newly direct La Roja after coming into the tournament as a team in transition.
“We want to see how good we are against one of the best teams in the world,” Spalletti told reporters. “We want to play with a positive attitude, possession football and try to dictate the rhythm of the match.”