Ireland may be flying under many radars going into Euro 2016 but Italy manager Antonio Conte is not unschooled on the threat of Martin O’Neill’s charges.
Italy and the Republic clash in Villeneuve d’Ascq on June 22 and Conte has revealed that he’s not underestimating the Boys in Green.
He told the Irish Times: “As far as I am concerned, this is the hardest first round group of all…Ireland took points from Germany, they are a tough team. I saw their play-off games against Bosnia.
“They are a much improved team, they are obviously very physical and then too they often like to use the long ball, looking for the lay-off…Even if that is not always the case because the Premiership has much changed the once classic English style…”
Ireland may not have the household names in their side compared to Italian superstars like Andrea Pirlo, Gianluigi Buffon and Mario Balotelli but the qualifying stages proved that O’Neill has put a squad together that has the ability to upset the odds against anyone on any given evening.
And Conte has pinpointed three players for particular praise as he reiterated the research he’s been doing on Italy’s Group E opponents.
He added: “A player I like a lot, for example, is that Southampton striker (Shane Long), and then there is (Seamus) Coleman at Everton and the central defender John O’Shea who is a very, very good player…No, no, you cannot tell me that I don’t know this Irish team…”
