Italian coach Roberto Donadoni has reportedly said that his side can beat anyone after the Azzurri beat France 2-0 to reach the last eight of Euro 2008. Italy face tournament favourites Spain in the quarterfinals. Spain finished atop Group D with three wins from as many games.

After the win over France, Donadoni gave his players a day off, and the Italian coach and a few of his players chose golf as a means of relaxation.

Donadoni was also quick to heap praise on former colleague Marco Van Basten and his Dutch side for their 2-0 defeat of Romania. Had the Dutch lost, Italy's win would have been of no use. Conspiracy theories had surrounded the Holland- Romania game even before it started, with several newspapers suspecting that Holland would deliberately play poorly to knock France and Italy out.

Winning against Spain will not be easy, but Donadoni does have history on his side. Italy have not lost to Spain in a major competition in the last 88 years, and beat them in the quarterfinals of the 1994 World Cup. Donadoni himself played in that games, when goals from Dino and Roberto Baggio gave Italy a 2-1 win. He will however have to do with the services of suspended midfield duo Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso.