Italy wept in changing room, says Buffon

Kiev - Mario Balotelli may have cried right on the ground after Italy’s 0-4 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2012 final, but almost the whole Italian team was in tears in the dressing room later, goalkeeper and captain Gianluigi Buffon said on Monday.

Italy continue their 46-year wait for a second European title after goals from David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata gave Spain their third major title in a row.

“In the changing room, almost all the players were sobbing,” Buffon said.

“We thought we could beat the Spaniards in the Euro 2012 final, but it all turned out to be a big illusion.”

Conceding two goals in the final ten minutes was a nightmarish end to the game, Buffon said.

“I just want to forget the last ten minutes of the match, erase it from my life,” he said.

“I worried that we’d concede again and the match would end with a far higher score than 4-0. We really could have lost by much more and we’re fortunate that didn’t happen.”

Buffon, 34, made his 120th appearance for Italy in the final after a career that included winning the 2006 World Cup.

He missed Italy’s last appearance at a European championship final in 2000 with a broken hand.