Cesc Fabregas unhappy with "lamentable" pitch

Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas has blamed the state of the pitch for his team's failure to beat Italy in their Euro 2012 Group C opener.

The 25-year-old rescued a 1-1 draw for his side, equalising after Antonio Di Natale had given the Azzurri a second-half lead.

Fabregas believes that the slow surface in Gdansk prevented the world champions from playing their high-tempo passing game.

He said: "I don't want to complain, but we deserve much more. It is lamentable that we have to play on a pitch like this.

"It has been a difficult match, the most difficult one we have in the group against a very strong rival.

"After going behind it is not a bad result. We are still dependent on ourselves. We have shown character and played well."

Spain's next fixture is against the Republic of Ireland in Gdansk on Thursday.