Spain players tested for doping at Euro 2016

David De Gea says Spain have not hung their heads after their defeat to Croatia in their final group match.

Italy were thrashed 4-0 by Vicente del Bosque’s side in the 2012 final and, although Pirlo would have liked their reunion to come later on in France, he has backed his compatriots to overcome the reigning champions.

Chelsea and Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas talks about Round of 16 clash with Italy and hopes that he can help shift his future manager Antonio Conte’s attention to the Blues sooner rather than later.

‘Not seeing me as often as the others, Conte couldn’t know my condition as well as them. “They are very good with their style”.

“They aren’t used to being without the ball”, added the 37-year-old, who has won 116 caps.

When we’ve got the ball, we can cause anyone problems”, the coach said, “and when we’re attacking we have an organised set-up like we do in defense.

“We have great respect for Spain”.

“We have an important match and have to focus on carrying on the Euros campaign”. We’ll have to go above and beyond the call of duty and give absolutely everything. We can not only defend, that would be the worst mistake.

Koke says Spain and Italy are such big squads that there can not be a favourite in the match. Against their skills, we will fight as we have already done. “When we beat Italy we were totally sure we’d be champions”.

“He’s a special kind of guy and a player who, as well as having great skills, is only going to get better”.

“He knows our skills and he also knows that if he strays too close to Giorgio, he will receive a couple of kicks!”

Whilst that was a tightly contested affair, whereby Cesc Fabregas cancelled out a Antonio Di Natale goal to earn Spain a point, the final was not.

Monday’s Paris showdown will be the 35th match between the nations, who have recorded 10 wins apiece.

– Italy’s last victory against Spain in a major tournament was in the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Cup (2-1 thanks to goals from Dino and Roberto Baggio).

Italy have so far surpassed the admittedly low expectations, while La Roja’s euphoria was curtailed by their late defeat to Croatia in the final group game.

Pirlo left Juventus last summer to move to New York City FC, which prompted Italy manager Antonio Conte to regularly admit he would find it hard to pick the midfielder, or Sebastian Giovinco of Toronto, while they were playing in the MLS. However, this Spain side has some new players, a new direct threat in the form of Alvaro Morata and Nolito.