Game for a laugh: Mario Balotelli jokes around with a corner flag during training

Italy, fellow residents here in Krakow, present a different challenge to  Hodgson. It is now about players of the quality of Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi, Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli.

‘I know some of the players, of course, but, quite frankly, our preparation for Italy starts now,’ he said. ‘I’ve seen them play but I haven’t studied them and how good they are yet. I watched the game between Spain and Croatia rather than between Italy and Ireland probably because I was thinking Spain were a possible opponent.

‘But this comes down to how you go about your business with the players on a daily basis — the professional business of training and preparing for matches.’

England will certainly be prepared  for penalties.

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