The FIFA World Cup got underway earlier on Thursday, with hosts Russia thrashing Saudi Arabia 5-0.

"I don't know it's because of the first match or because we played against the hosts. I don't know what influence it had on the result [5-0]. We did not do exactly what we planned. The opponents did not have to put much effort into their win. Such results are unusual for this level. We need to live through it and forget this poor performance," Pizzi told journalists.

The World Cup will continue through 15 July, with a total of 64 matches set to be played at 12 stadiums across 11 Russian cities.