‘Arrogance’ ‘Clown’ – Some fans mortified after Rio Ferdinand’s bold England claim

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Rio Ferdinand has attracted some controversy on social media following comments made after Italy beat Spain 4-2 on penalties.

The 42-year-old boldly refused to express any concern over England facing either one of Luis Enrique or Roberto Mancini’s national outfits after the Blues came up trumps in their European Championship semi-final.

“It doesn’t matter who goes through here if you’re England,” the former Manchester United defender told his fellow pundits on BBC Sport.

“I believe England beat both of these sides.

“No one can compete with us right now with the confidence we’ve got.”

A large number of fans reacted somewhat negatively to the statement, taking to the Twittersphere to criticise what many saw as arrogance on the Englishman’s part.

READ MORE: Video: Jorginho mobbed after netting winning penalty to send Italy to Euros final

Should Gareth Southgate’s men manage to secure victory against Denmark tomorrow evening, the side will reach their first major final since 1966, having already matched the prior furthest point reached in an elite tournament under the ex-Middlesbrough boss.

Following a fast-paced encounter between two quality national outfits, however, the Italian national team appear to be far from pushovers and represent a more than genuine challenge to whoever emerges victorious from tomorrow’s remaining Euros semi-final.

Indeed, judging off of the online reaction to Ferdinand’s comments, it appears to be the case that few share the former defender’s confidence when it comes to a potential final clash with Italy.

You can catch some of the fan reaction below:

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