France's star midfielder Paul Pogba has admitted that he felt extremely sad to see his Juventus team-mate Gianluigi Buffon crying following Italy's European Championship elimination, but expressed his delight to make it through to the semifinals of the tournament.
France claimed a comfortable 5-2 win over Italy in their quarter-final clash at the Stade de France to set up a last four encounter against world champions Germany, who defeated Italy in a bizarre 6-5 penalty shootout.
Pogba, who scored a goal in the win against Iceland, said that Germany would provide a tough test to his side while adding that the same would have been expected against Antonio Conte's side had they progressed.
Jubilant with the win, the 23-year-old midfielder said his side are now looking forward to maintain their winning momentum in order to book their place in the tournament finale.
Pogba, however, expressed his disappointment over Italy's penalty defeat to Germany, saying that Buffon's side performed really well during the tournament and that he felt extremely proud of them.
"To see Gigi crying made me feel very bad sat in front of the television. He is a great goalkeeper, he gave his best and so did the team. They produced a very good game, but this is football," Pogba was quoted as saying by goal.com.
France will now lock horns with Germany in the mouth-watering semifinal clash in Marseille on Friday.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
