Iniesta rejects Alonso's claim Spain "lacked hunger"

Andres Iniesta stopped to speak to reporters in the mixed zone after Spain were eliminated from the World Cup and he inisted that their exit was not to do with "a lack of hunger."

Xabi Alonso had suggested Spain were not "mentally prepared and weren't hungry enough," but the Barca midfielder disagreed.

"Perhaps that is his opinion," said the player who scored the winning goal in the last World Cup final.

"When things don't go well, for me, it can never be said to be down to our desire to win because here everyone wants to win. 

"We have experienced some moments at the very top; now we are at the very bottom. Each one of must be the leader of our own game and we were not quite up to it. It's a huge disappointment. 

"At the moment everything seems very cruel. All the excitment that we and the people of Spain had has been taken away. It is a difficult."