MONTPELLIER, France (AP) " Giorgio Chiellini will be facing a familiar foe when his Italy side lines up against Spain in the last 16 of the European Championship on Monday.
Italy was humiliated 4-0 by Spain in the Euro 2012 final in Kiev, Ukraine, having lost on penalties to La Roja in the quarterfinals four years previously in Vienna. It also lost in a shootout in the semifinals of the 2013 Confederations Cup.
"Spain has been our nemesis since 2008," Chiellini said on Friday. "I think Kiev was the first game in which we weren't on their level, we weren't ready. The whole team hadn't recovered from the (semifinal) match against Germany.
"Other games it was the classic Italy against Spain " level matches which unfortunately we lost on penalties, where we didn't deserve to lose. In Vienna, it was a very even game with very few occasions for either side and I think that is how it will be on Monday. It will be a nice match, a balanced match, we respect each other, we're two different football schools. It's a shame it's a last-16 match."
Little was expected of Italy as it headed into Euro 2016 with an aging team that had been written off by critics and described as one of the worst ever by the media back home.