Del Bosque: State of Pitch was ‘Lamentable’

A poor-quality pitch ruined Spain’s clash with Italy at Euro 2012, Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque has said.

The match in Gdansk ended in a 1-1 draw after a match in which both teams showed bursts of quality but Spain were unable to implement their usual short-passing game.

“It is lamentable that we have to play on a pitch like this,” Del Bosque said, adding that the surface had prevented both teams from playing to their potential.

Spain managed to put in a decent performance regardless of the surface, he said.

"We have worked hard and put in a good effort. We are relatively satisfied with our work and the result."

Spain play Ireland next on Thursday, when Italy will face Croatia.