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Russotto points the way

Andrea Russotto talks to uefa.com about his relief after scoring Italy's winning goal in their opening group game.

By Paolo Menicucci in Tirrenia

Italy forward Andrea Russotto could not have dreamt of a better start to his UEFA European Under-17 Championship. His second-half goal gave the Azzurrini a 1-0 win against Turkey in their first Group A game in Pontedera.

'Tough start'
Russotto's strike, set up by Davide Di Gennaro, proved enough even though Turkey had the better opportunities both in the first half and in the tie's closing stages. "It was a very tough start, especially because we felt the pressure of playing at home and because Turkey are a very good team," he told uefa.com.

'Hesitant' approach
"We were a bit hesitant to begin with, and as a result, we had a very difficult start. Turkey played some great football at times during the first half," added the product of S.S. Lazio's youth system, who is currently playing for Serie C2 side AS Cisco Lodigiani after a spell in Switzerland with AC Bellinzona.

Constant danger
With his tremendous technique and eye for goal, Russotto was a constant threat to the opposition defence even though Turkey dominated. During the opening period he delighted the home fans with some fine skills, particularly when feeding attacking partner Salvatore Foti or when he flicked the ball over his marker only to see his subsequent volley rise just above the crossbar.

Team effort
However, Russotto wanted to share the credit for the victory with the rest of the team. "First of all, I thank the coach and my team-mates because all the squad deserve credit, not just the goalscorer," he said. "The whole team try to put us in a position to score. The pass from Di Gennaro was simply perfect."

Luck needed
The striker admitted Italy were lucky to win but was delighted with the three points collected. "We knew Turkey were very sure of themselves," he said. "I think they were confident of beating us, especially after their victory in our friendly against them a few months ago. We have been lucky but I think you need a bit of luck in life. However, we deserved that luck for the way we managed to raise our game after a bad first half."

Strong tournament
On Thursday Italy will face Belarus, who lost 4-0 against England in their first match, and another success could book the Azzurrini's place in the semi-finals. However, Russotto warned: "There are no easy games in this tournament. We will approach the Belarus match with the same respect we showed against Turkey. It was very difficult to qualify for the finals and all eight teams playing here will be very strong. We just hope to play well from the start this time."

Champion ambition
After his brilliant beginning, Russotto has clear ideas about his goals for the tournament. "I hope I can play well and score more goals but the results of the team are far more important. This competition is very prestigious and, for us, it is even more important because we are playing in front of our own supporters. We want to be European champions."

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