Graziano Pelle said he wants to "apologise to all Italians" for his penalty miss in Saturday night's Euro 2016 quarterfinal clash between Italy and Germany.
The Azzurri exited the competition after they were beaten on 6-5 penalties by Germany, following a 1-1 draw.
And Pelle, who missed one of the decisive spotkicks, has come under criticism for his gesture towards Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the shootout where he implied he was about to do a Panenka-style chip.
"Do my Euros remain positive? I couldn't care less right now, I am just sad and want to apologise to all Italians," Pelle told news agency Ansa.
"If I had scored that penalty, I'd have become a phenomenon, but instead ... I arrived here as a nobody and I leave as a nobody.
"I am sorry to everyone, but let nobody say I was trying to provoke Neuer. I don't even think he noticed. By making the 'chip' gesture I was merely trying to encourage him to stay in the centre of the goal.
"He was moving around a lot and I wanted him to stay still. At the end Neuer saluted me and said I was a great player."
Despite Pelle's disappointment, he took to social media to give closure to Italy's Euro campaign and said he's "proud to be Italian."
A photo posted by Graziano Pellè (@gpelle19_official) on
"Despite a sad epilogue, I will always hold in my heart the memory of a fantastic group of 23 lions," wrote Pelle on Instagram. "From the first day of training to this we always helped each other out, in good and bad, so thank you lads.
"Unfortunately this is football, full of pleasingly unforgettable moments and others to be forgotten, but it remains the most beautiful game in the world. I love football.
"Thanks also to an entire nation that supported us to the last breathe or tear of this tournament. Proud to be Italian."