Trapattoni upbeat despite defeat

Giovanni Trapattoni insisted the Republic of Ireland's European Championship hopes were not over after one game, despite Sunday night's crushing opening defeat to Croatia.

The Republic suffered a painful reintroduction to the game's elite as they were thoroughly outplayed to lose 3-1 in Poznan and leave themselves with a mountain to climb in Group C. Defeat against Spain on Thursday could spell the end for Trapattoni's men, who must realistically also get a result against Italy next Monday to stand any chance of progressing.

But manager Trapattoni said: "We have to believe. This evening we met a strong team, technical - we knew that before. But every game in this Euro can be a surprise. We have to believe this. Until now, we have not conceded a situation like this evening."

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