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Prandelli pledges to continue Azzurri adventure

Prior to the final Prandelli had suggested he would consider his future after the tournament and had raised issues about his quality of life and the lack of attention paid to the national team outside of major tournaments.

But after his tired team were convincingly beaten by world champions Spain, Prandelli, who has a contract until 2014, struck a more positive tone over his future.

"My future is already determined, even on a few occasions my mood was a bit, well, how it was," he said.

"I don't have any problem with the Federation or with its leadership. I have an excellent relationship with them. There is a project and we want to take it forward," he said.

"Of course in my choice, this defeat is also a factor, the impossibility of leaving like this," he said.

"This is a fascinating project, difficult but fascinating," he said, adding that he would meet with Italian Football Federation president Giancarlo Abete in the coming days.

"We deserve an eight out of 10 overall, " he said when asked to rank the team's displays.

"We started the tournament with a few problems, we had Spain in our group, I think we have played some terrific games but above all I think we struggled to get back to fitness [for the final] unfortunately.

"The lads showed that if you have team spirit you can chase your dream. They worked hard for one another, showed you can lose with dignity and they have been able to react to difficulties.

"I am very proud of my team," he said.