Spain out to learn from Italy about competing at the top

Spain should try and take a leaf out of Italy's book if they want to cast aside their reputation as perennial underachievers at major tournaments, according to national team boss Luis Aragones.

"Recently, I read a player saying that Spain lack competitiveness and that is something I have been saying for some time now," Aragones told a news conference on the eve of his side's friendly against the world champions.

"There have been times when we've had a team that should have gone further, but we haven't done it.

"Italy have some very good players, physically they are very strong, they are intelligent and they know how to compete."

Aragones said although Spain played a different style of football from Italy they could learn a lot from the attitude of players like Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso.

"He (Gattuso) is a great player and always performs. He and others in the team can teach us a lot about what it means to compete and sacrifice yourself in a game."

Spain meet Italy in Elche in their final match before Luis Aragones announces his squad for Euro 2008 where his team are in Group D with European champions Greece, Russia and Sweden.

Italy are warming up for their Group C campaign in which they face World Cup runners-up France, Netherlands and Romania.