Spalletti: "We were too frantic early on, then it was balanced."

MILAN - LucianoSpalletti was naturally disappointed after Lazio won the Coppa Italia quarter-final on penalties. "At the start, our play was awkward, we got lost when things were frantic and you can’t do that against sides like Lazio. Then, when the match came to life, it was balanced but we lacked the composure to move the ball around. There were lots of chances to score, at both ends. It was totally balanced and in the end, Lazio deserved to make the semi-final in the shootout."

There were then some comments on individuals: "Nainggolan? He had a series of injuries which stopped him from training with any consistency. He needs playing time. Perisic? Roles need to to be redefined, the transfer window has closed and he’s a professional. He’ll come back to training and he’ll be reintegrated slowly."

"It always hurts when you lose games at the end like that," he added. "At this level, the mental side counts more than anything. The emotional side can take over even if you work well in the week."