..::Football III::..

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Del Bosque: Barcelona and Real Madrid not trying to pressure me

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has dismissed suggestions Barcelona and Real Madrid have been trying to convince him not to use any of their players in the upcoming international friendlies against Italy and Romania.

Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets was sent home earlier this week due to a finger injury, while Andres Iniesta was not called up due to fitness concerns, leading to speculation Del Bosque was acting on the Catalans' request ahead of the upcoming Clasico.

Nevertheless, Del Bosque has insisted there is no truth in such claims."It is absolutely not true that some clubs have been pressuring us not to use their players in these friendlies," Del Bosque said at a news conference.

"Absolutely no-one, from no club whatsoever. Not from one of the big clubs, nor someone from one of the small clubs. It infuriates me when I read stuff like that.We have never received any recommendations not to call up or field any players.

"In Busquets' case, he was sent home because of a problem with his finger. We all saw what happened in the match against Villarreal.

"As for Iniesta, he is not in the squad because of a minor problem. He could not play for Barcelona against Villarreal either."

Spain will be looking to win their third consecutive European title at Euro 2016 in France, but Del Bosque has warned it will not be easy for the titleholders."You are always aiming for the best, which is the title," he added.

"We want to achieve the best thing possible, without losing sight of reality. The differences between the various teams are very small."We will be defending the title we won four years ago against Italy. That final was probably our best game."

 

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Buffon: I'm ready to beat my own clean-sheet record

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has backed himself to build on his recent achievement of going 974 minutes without conceding a goal in Serie A.

The 38-year-old veteran smashed the 22-year record previously held by former AC Milan shot-stopper Sebastiano Rossi in the Old Lady's 4-1 win over local rivals Torino on Sunday, which sent the club six points clear at the top of the table.

And despite his phenomenal feat, Buffon was quick to share the glory with his Juve teammates whilst also pointing to his own longevity - as well as that of another goalkeeping legend - as the secret to his success.

"[Iker] Casillas & I were very smart to become keepers. The fact we're still here playing means we've done something extraordinary," he said.

"I’ve always given my all to get back the maximum. Then it’s up to the coach to decide what he thinks is best in order to win.

"My record? I’m happy I could share it with my teammates at Juventus. I’m already back up to 42 minutes, ready to beat it again."

 

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Del Bosque could continue as Spain boss

Vicente del Bosque has hinted that he could continue as Spain head coach beyond Euro 2016.

The 65-year-old has been in charge of the national team since 2008, guiding them to their first World Cup in 2010 and a second successive European Championship in 2012. Del Bosque's contract expires on July 31, after the Euros in France, and he suggested in the past that the tournament would be his last.

But the former Real Madrid coach refused to rule out extending his stay."We'll talk about my future as and when. I'll always try to help Spanish football wherever I am," Del Bosque told Radio Marca.

"Of course, I'll be there for whatever they need. Whatever I decide will in no way harm the federation or the national team."

Del Bosque also said he is in no rush to decide which forwards he will take with him to France, with veteran Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz set to get his chance to add to his solitary cap in the upcoming friendlies against Italy and Romania.

"We have two months ahead of us to decide which strikers make the squad. We will do whatever is best for the Spanish national team," he said."The idea is not to give 180 minutes to any player. With Aduriz we will ask him to do what he's been doing at Athletic [Bilbao]."

 

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International Friendly Fixtures 2016.03.24

International Friendly Fixtures 2016.03.24

Malta Vs Moldova

Estonia Vs Norway

Greece Vs Montenegro

Turkey Vs Sweden

Denmark Vs Iceland

Ukraine Vs Cyprus

Czech Republic Vs Scotland

Italy Vs Spain

Wales Vs Nothern Ireland​

 

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Good Luck Spain!​

 

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Milan president rules out Ibrahimovic return

Milan president Silvio Berlusconi believes the club have no chance of re-signing Paris Saint-Germain forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic.The Sweden international is expected to leave the Ligue 1 champions at the end of the season when his current contract expires.

Ibrahimovic has been linked with clubs from England, United States, Qatar and China, while Milan are also believed to be keen on bringing him back to San Siro having been unsuccessful in an attempt last year.The 34-year-old enjoyed a fruitful spell with Milan between 2010 and 2012, but a return now seems out of the question after Berlusconi admitted Milan can't pay what other clubs are willing to for Ibrahimovic's services.

"It is impossible to bring back Ibrahimovic," Berlusconi told Tele Radio Stereo.
"Zlatan is receiving offers from China and the UAE that we simply cannot match."

Milan have also been linked with a surprise move for Francesco Totti, whose future at Roma is in doubt following a contract dispute, but Berlusconi has dismissed suggestions they could lure the 39-year-old away from his current club.

"Totti is impossible, too," he added. "You just don't buy club legends like him.
"I hope that Totti can reach an agreement with Roma to stay put after his active career."

 

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Gotze overrated since World Cup final - Magath

Mario Gotze has been living a charmed life since scoring Germany's winner in the 2014 World Cup final, according to Felix Magath.

Gotze came off the bench to score the extra-time winner against Argentina in Brazil, securing a first global crown since West Germany lifted the trophy in 1990.
However, Magath feels Gotze's value to the team has been skewed by his Rio heroics and that the playmaker has struggled since his move to Bayern from Borussia Dortmund in 2013.

"Generally, you should not exaggerate a player based on one action," he told TZ. "Mario Gotze came on in the World Cup final and scored. No More.

"Since his move to Bayern Munich he has not played the role he did in Dortmund.It is debatable whether he really is so indispensable for the national team.

"It will be interesting to see what [incoming Bayern coach] Carlo Ancelotti has planned for him."Mario will have a job on his hands, though, because the competition in his position at Bayern is great."

 

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Morata future in Real Madrid's hands - Buffon

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon says it feels as though Real Madrid have complete control over the future of Alvaro Morata.

The Spain striker continues to be linked with a return to the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season, with Madrid understood to retain a buy-back option on the 23-year-old.

Morata has stressed this week that he would like to stay in Turin but conceded he cannot offer any guarantees over where he will be next season, and Buffon admits that media coverage would seem to suggest that Madrid hold all the cards.

"After reading the papers, I think that neither the player nor Juventus have a lot to say about this," he said ahead of Italy's friendly match with Spain."It's Real Madrid who have to decide because there is a buy-back clause.

"What the player or the club where he plays wants is relative, because it seems like Madrid will decide his future."

Morata joined Juventus on a five-year deal in July 2014 and went on to claim the domestic double and reach the Champions League final - scoring in both legs of the semi-final against Madrid - in his first season with the club.He has scored 10 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions this term.

 

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Gotze not satisfied at Bayern - Muller

Mario Gotze is "not 100 per cent satisfied" at Bayern Munich according to team-mate Thomas Muller.

Gotze, 23, has fallen down the pecking order for the Bundesliga leaders, making just 12 appearances in all competitions in 2015-16.While injuries have played their part, Gotze has since been linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena at the end of the season.

He recently resumed regular training after overcoming a hamstring problem, but has featured just once since re-joining his team-mates at Bayern.

And Muller has intensified talk of Gotze potentially leaving the Bavarians by revealing the midfielder isn't completely happy with his current situation.

"I speak with Mario and think he is not 100 per cent satisfied with his situation at Bayern." Muller told a news conference ahead of Germany's friendly clash with England on Saturday.

"I am not Mario's agent, so I am not going to speak about his future."Nevertheless, Muller is confident Gotze still has a major role to play for Germany ahead of Euro 2016 this summer.

"Mario brings a quality that he always had," he added. "I hope that he plays well with the national team and he can take advantage of his time."

 

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Messi pays tribute to 'legend' Cruyff

Lionel Messi has paid tribute to "legend" Johan Cruyff after the former Barcelona player and coach passed away on Thursday at the age of 68.

Messages of condolence have poured in from across the footballing world after the ex-Ajax and Netherlands star lost his battle with lung cancer.

Barca club captain Andres Iniesta described Cruyff as a key figure in the club's modern success after his impact upon the youth system and playing culture at Camp Nou during his time as head coach of the 'Dream Team' of the early 1990s.

And five-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi is the latest to pay his respects to Cruyff, posting simply on his official Facebook page: "Another legend has left us today."
Messi's club-mate Gerard Pique underlined the importance of Cruyff in encouraging La Masia to cultivate footballing talent in his championed 'total football' style.

"It's very sad news. I put him as one of the best players in history, and as a coach he changed the history of our club," the defender said, speaking to the Spanish Football Federation while on international duty.

 

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Conte: I want Vidal in all my teams

Antonio Conte has fuelled speculation that he will try to sign Arturo Vidal for Chelsea by declaring that he wants the Chilean in all of his sides.

Goal understands that Conte has already visited Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham and is close to agreeing a three-year contract, worth £6.5 million per year.

Last week, Vidal admitted he ‘go to war’ with his former manager at Juventus, and Conte admits he’d welcome the chance to work with the midfielder once again.

“I’d take Vidal too. He’s an amazing player. I must admit at Juve I found him hard to fit in,” the Italy coach told El Pais.

"In my head I wanted to play a 4-2-4 and 4-4-2, but seeing the intensity of Vidal getting up and down the pitch I switched to a 4-3-3 which then transformed into 3-5-2.

“He has extraordinary physical and technical attributes, if I get to coach him a little more it’d be fantastic.

“I want him in all my teams.”

 

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'Premier League games in China unlikely despite Man Utd support'

A Manchester United director has claimed that China is home to 110 million of the club's 659m supporters, but he believes it would be difficult to ever take a Premier League fixture to the Asian country.

Managing director Richard Arnold insists that China is a key growth market for the Red Devils, who announced earlier this week that they will tour the country in July as part of their pre-season preparations ahead of the 2016-17 campaign.

But when pushed on the potential of taking competitive matches to the far east, he admitted it remains a 'difficult' proposition logistically.

"We have 110m of our 659m fans live here so it is a hugely important part of the world," he told CNBC.

"We have been coming here since 1975 and always taken the opinion that it needs to be a long-term view, that you build and you invest in the relationship and the partnership and that over the long term you will benefit from that.

"From my point of view I see difficulty with having Premier League games [in China] in two-fold.

"Firstly, it is difficult to see which club would want to deprive its own home stadium fans of seeing the team.

"And secondly, for a location such as China, it is a fair distance to travel and you need to work that into the playing situation so that the team are in good order when they play the previous and next game. So I think from that point of view, that is difficult."

However, Arnold believes the club can continue to build its huge fan-base across Asia even in light of the relative on-field struggles since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in May 2013.

"We have such a big fan base, over 300m fans in Asia, it is an important part of the family of fans.

"No one likes losing, it's not something that the club sets out [to do]… But the uncertainty, how much it matters to you, how much it hurts when you lose.

"It's as important as how fantastic it is when you win and I think that is something we have seen in the last two or two-and-a-bit years, it has been tougher than some of the preceding years but what we have seen is an amazing group of fans.

"In terms of the economic effect, we are 140 years old with 660 million fans and most of the people we are dealing with are very sophisticated.

"They understand that there will be bumps along the road as we go through and they want to be part of that great story and don't see it as short-term.

"We tend not to have short-term partners, they tend to be long term and they take a long-term view and that has been very successful for them and very successful for us."

United head for China in July, with fixtures penned in against Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai on July 22 and neighbours Manchester City in Beijing three days later.

 

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Italy 1-1 Spain: Aduriz on target as Azzurri are held

Aritz Aduriz marked his long-awaited return to the international fold by snatching a 1-1 friendly draw for Spain against Italy at Stadio Friuli.

The 35-year-old Athletic Bilbao striker, winning his second cap after a wait of almost five-and-a-half years, converted from close range with 20 minutes to play as the home defence's legitimate protests for an offside call against Alvaro Morata went unheeded.It had been a frustrating outing until that point for Aduriz and his attacking team-mates as a much-changed Spain line-up struggled for fluency – the injury absence of Sergio Busquets keenly felt in midfield as Italy dominated for long periods.

Napoli attacker Lorenzo Insigne dazzled as a second-half substitute and crowned an excellent team move to give Italy an ultimately short-lived lead in the 67th minute.

It was a busy night for David de Gea in the Spain goal, with the Manchester United goalkeeper further pushing his claims for a starting berth ahead of Iker Casillas when Vicente del Bosque's men defend their European title in three months' time.

Following a minute's silence to pay tribute to Johan Cruyff, Italy made an encouraging start using the experimental 3-4-3 system employed by outgoing coach Antonio Conte.Matteo Darmian's pass released Antonio Candreva down the right and Sergio Ramos cleared for a corner with Graziano Pelle poised to convert.

De Gea got down superbly in the 15th minute to keep a low drive out of the corner from Candreva – whose bright start continued when he whipped another dangerous ball across the face of goal.

While delivering instructions he hoped might turnaround his team's lacklustre opening, Del Bosque collided with the linesman and was left amusingly sprawled on the turf.

Aduriz strayed marginally offside when he looked to slide home Morata's low 38th-minute cross in what proved to be Spain's most encouraging moment of the first half.

Eder hesitated to have an early second-half chance snuffed out by Juanfran and his replacement Insigne announced himself by forcing De Gea to push a 20-yard strike around his left post as the hour approached.

Leonardo Bonucci should have given Italy the lead from the resulting corner, but misjudged his header from Alessandro Florenzi's delivery.Florenzi was the latest man to be frustrated by De Gea's razor-sharp reflexes before the deserved opener arrived in the 67th minute.

A sweeping Italy counter-attack found Emanuele Giaccherini on the left and he slid a measured ball into the area for Insigne to finish.Given their passive contribution to the contest up until that point, Spain's swift response was something of a surprise.

Gianluigi Buffon parried from Morata and, despite the goalkeeper's Juventus team-mate appearing to be offside on the end of Cesc Fabregas' free-kick, Aduriz's strike stood when he lashed home the rebound.

The latter goalscorer instantly made way for David Silva, while Insigne resumed his personal duel with De Gea – the Spain man soaring to push a dipping strike over.
Spain travel to Romania on Sunday, while Italy have a date with world champions Germany on Tuesday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Spain!

VAMOS ESPANA

btw Aduriz gana hopes thiyaganna puluwn wei wage Euro16 wala​

 

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Xavi: Messi is a better team player and more intelligent than Ronaldo

Former Barcelona captain Xavi has described Lionel Messi as a "much better" team player than Cristiano Ronaldo and more intelligent than his Real Madrid rival, too.

Messi and Ronaldo have been named the top two players in the world in voting for the Ballon d'Or for the past five years, with the Argentine winning the award three times in that period.

Ronaldo is in line for another Pichichi award this season, as the Portuguese currently leads the Spanish goalscoring charts with 28 goals - although Messi boasts a better minutes-per-goal rate.

When asked about the differences between the two players, Xavi, now playing in Qatar, told The New Arab: "Ronaldo is a goalscorer, and Messi is also a goalscorer; however, Messi is a much better team player than Ronaldo.

"I think Messi is the best footballer in the world. In football, there are two important elements: fitness and intelligence. Ronaldo is very fit but Messi has both the fitness as well as the intelligence, so simply put he is better."

Xavi also believes that Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, not Real Madrid, are Barcelona's main rivals in this season's Champions League.

"Obviously, I want my team Barcelona to win the title," he said. "I think they are the most likely to win along with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

"But of course we must be wary of Real Madrid, because when they have unstable results in the league they usually play better in the Champions League.

"But I still think Barcelona is the likeliest team to win."

 

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Gameiro: Barcelona rumours good for me

Sevilla striker Kevin Gameiro has welcomed rumours linking him with a possible move to Barcelona but is concentrated on finishing the season on a high with his current club for the time being.Reports in Spain this week have claimed that technical director Ariedo Braida has placed the 28-year-old on a transfer wish list after Luis Enrique made it clear he wants to reinforce forward options ahead of the new season.

Gameiro says the speculation underlines his good form for the Europa League holders, although he insists his sole focus is on a strong end to the campaign at Sevilla as they aim to defend their trophy and secure the Copa del Rey.

"It's good for me. But I have two years left on my contract and I'm happy at Sevilla," he told Mundo Deportivo.

"At the moment I'm only thinking about Sevilla, where I'm very comfortable. I only think about the team, about working."I hope we have chances in the Europa League, La Liga and the final of the Copa del Rey at the end of the season."

Gameiro, who moved to the Sanchez Pizjuan from Paris Saint-Germain in 2013, has scored 21 goals in all competitions for Sevilla this season.

 

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Czech Republic 0-1 Scotland: Anya fires Strachan's men to victory

Scotland earned a morale-boosting 1-0 win over the Czech Republic as Gordon Strachan's men began their preparations for the upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign with a victory.

Ikechi Anya put Scotland into the lead after nine minutes in Prague on Thursday, racing on to a throughball from Ross McCormack before slotting a neat finish through the legs of debutant goalkeeper Tomas Koubek.

Allan McGregor made a string of saves to keep his side ahead and Borek Dockal saw his free-kick smash back off the crossbar shortly before Anya's opener.

Victory for Scotland - who saw their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2012 dashed thanks to a controversial late penalty in a 2-2 draw at Hampden Park in September 2011 the last time the sides faced each other - sets them up nicely for a home friendly against Denmark on Tuesday. The Czech Republic travel to Sweden looking for a response with Euro 2016 looming on the horizon.

Alan Hutton won his 50th cap for Scotland and Aberdeen midfielder Kenny McLean was given his debut, while the hosts were without stars Petr Cech and Tomas Rosicky through injury.

Following a minute's silence to mark the death of Johan Cruyff, Dockal struck the crossbar with a terrific free-kick after just seven minutes, McGregor recovering to claw out Tomas Sivok's rebound header.

The visitors took the lead when McCormack freed Anya, who fired a shot through the legs of goalkeeper Koubek in a carbon copy of his goal against Germany in Scotland's unsuccessful Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

McGregor then tipped over a rising drive by Martin Frydek and the Scotland goalkeeper made further saves from Josef Sural and Tomas Necid as the home side cranked up the pressure.Scotland went close to scoring a second goal just before half-time when Russell Martin sent a looping header over the crossbar from a Robert Snodgrass free-kick.

Strachan's side were threatening on the break and Anya created a chance for McLean after 53 minutes, but the debutant hesitated and dragged his shot wide of the post.

A superb flowing move from the visitors then saw substitute Matt Phillips have a header saved after another excellent Snodgrass delivery, before Martin's header drifted just wide.Vladimir Darida pulled a shot wide and Snodgrass headed off target as the game started to be broken up by regular substitutions from both sides.

The Czech Republic topped their Euro 2016 qualifying group - finishing above Iceland, Turkey and the Netherlands - but they struggled to break down a determined Scotland outfit.

Scotland could have had a penalty when Hutton went down in the box after 72 minutes, before Czech striker Matej Vydra also had appeals for a spot-kick rejected.

Striker Tony Watt was handed a late debut for Scotland, whose lead was protected by McGregor's terrific full-length save from a ricochet in the box.

 

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Chile 1-2 Argentina: Martino's men fight back for three crucial World Cup points

Argentina had to fight back from a goal down, but did enough to gain revenge for the Copa America final defeat and down Chile 2-1 in Santiago.

The victory, secured by goals from Angel di Maria and Gabriel Mercado after Felipe Gutierrez put the home side ahead, was Argentina's second of the campaign after winning just one of their previous four games.

The loss of Arturo Vidal was felt in the middle of the park for Chile, as the Bayern Munich midfielder's absence left the home side short of power.Starved of possession, Alexis Sanchez and his fellow forwards could not trouble an undermanned Argentina defence, which was missing Javier Mascherano.

Di Maria produced a moment of pure magic when he levelled the scores after 20 minutes, providing an inch-perfect finish from the left side of the box to leave Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo helpless.

His goal was well-timed with his side having to recover from going a goal down after Gutierrez ensured Chile's good start was not in vein when he sent home a thumping header from a Fabian Orellana corner after just 12 minutes.It was Mercado's effort that proved the difference in the end, as he got on the end of a lovely Lionel Messi flick to volley home the eventual winner.

The home side had enjoyed the better start, despite losing Matias Fernandez to injury after just seven minutes, as their visitors struggled for inspiration in the final third.Gutierrez made good on that start with his header after 12 minutes as Argentina were left reeling.

Unsurprisingly, it was Messi who looked most likely early on, picking up the ball in his own half after nine minutes and driving towards the backpedalling Chile defence before picking out Di Maria, who skied his shot.But Di Maria would not miss twice and when he was found unmarked in the box by Ever Banega, the Paris Saint-Germain winger curled a brilliant effort home to level after 20 minutes.

Chile lost another player to injury when Marcelo Diaz was taken off, while the equaliser sparked greater confidence from Argentina and they took the lead minutes later through River Plate defender Mercado, who athletically tucked away a Messi flick for his first international goal.Sanchez went closest to equalising after the restart as his lobbed effort went just wide, before Sergio Aguero sent a fierce curling effort off target in the 64th minute.

Chile rallied hard in the closing minutes, with Sanchez going close from a late free-kick, but could not find the back of the net for the all-important equaliser.

 

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Felipe Anderson: Lazio stopped me from joining Manchester United

Felipe Anderson has revealed that Lazio turned down the opportunity to sell him to Manchester United last summer.

The Serie A club have previously claimed that they rejected a €50 million bid from United last August, while Louis van Gaal’s side reignited their interest in the January transfer window.

“Whenever we’re approaching the transfer market there’s a lot of talk about my future,” Anderson told UOL.

“For two years my name has been linked with several European clubs. I continue to work and think only of Lazio, otherwise I just risk being distracted.

“My goal is to do well with Lazio and the Brazil Olympic team, I’m not thinking about anything else.

“I want to finish the season well, and I want to show my potential so I can be called-up.

“Manchester United? An offer came in last year, Lazio have confirmed that’s the case too. They preferred to keep me though, to have a great season.

“Unfortunately we were unable to repeat our achievements of last year, but we’re continuing to work hard, we’ll see what the future holds.”

 

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Del Bosque praises Aduriz's Spain impact

Aritz Aduriz and Alvaro Morata earned praised from Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque after the pair starred in a 1-1 draw against Italy on Wednesday.

Form Athletic Bilbao striker Aduriz marked his international comeback after five-and-a-half years out of the Spain set-up by scoring from close range to cancel out Lorenzo Insigne's opener for Italy.

The 35-year-old vindicated the multitude of calls for him to be integrated into the squad ahead of Euro 2016 following his sparking displays for his club, while Juventus striker Morata also stood out for la Roja in Udine. And Del Bosque was happy with the pair's showings along with that of David de Gea, who stood in for Spain's regular goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

"Aduriz performed well. He's adapted perfectly to our game," Del Bosque told reporters. "Morata played well in both positions. I'm satisfied with his work.

"De Gea and Casillas are good. We have absolute confidence in our goalkeepers. Italy made more chances than us, but we did good things."

Del Bosque felt that Spain's control of the ball was not up to their usual standard, with the European champions missing injured Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets."We couldn't have possession of the ball. We needed to risk more. I hope we’re in a better condition for Euro 2016," the trainer added.

Aduriz, who has been in brilliant scoring form for Athletic this season, spoke of his joy at returning to the Spain fold and praised his team-mates for welcoming him into the team."I'm very happy to participate with the national team, it is a shame we did not win," Aduriz said.

"It is easy to get along with these players. They are very good and make your life easier. In the second half we were better, closer, although we have not created many chances."