Conte wants Italy to get excited about facing Spain

THE “BAD COP, bad cop” relationship between Roy Keane and Martin O’Neill has prompted plenty of interest since the pair were confirmed as Ireland manager and assistant respectively back in November 2013.

“With regards to the draw, it’s definitely odd to win the group and come up against Spain”, Conte said through a translator.

Hoolahan said: “I was thinking when it happened ‘Oh no, what’s going to happen at the end?’, but luckily enough Robbie got the goal”.

“Obviously it’s difficult playing such a relentless Italian side who were going to be hard to break down – we managed to do that. I would have the teams that play Ireland play every single night and we wouldn’t have to play for a year”.

“I think we have chose to forget about it – that’s something coming from Ireland”.

Ahead of the next round, Italy coach Antonio Conte had left eight regular starters out of his lineup, including goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who has been suffering from a fever over the last few days. All we ask of the strikers is for them to score goals and that’s what they’re doing.

O’Neill could hardly have been more delighted with what he saw from his players as they took the game to a much-changed Italy team from the off and were denied what looked like a clear penalty just before half-time when James McClean went down under a challenge from Federico Bernardeschi.

The former Celtic boss said: “The evening last night was reminiscent of some great European nights at Celtic. When we win, we win together, when we lose, we lose together”, he added.

“This is why we play the game”. “We had the game under control”.

But no one is more proud than his adorable little girl Halle, who has taken Instagram by storm, nearly stealing her Daddy’s limelight.

But the European heavyweights appeared to put their recent result behind them as they prepare to face reigning champions Spain in the knockout stage. “I will not think about that for one second”, Keane said, in quotes appearing in the Irish Examiner.

“I do understand as a host nation you should get some particular favors”.

“I told him to shave his beard because it was ruffling my chin”, O’Neill joked.