Former Republic of Ireland boss Jack Charlton said he was surprised at the quality of Ireland's penalty taking.
However, he says that comments made in a newspaper might have been taken out of context because he was so disappointed at Ireland's exit.
Charlton was reported as saying that he had no sympathy for players who had missed the penalties.
Spain won 3-2 in the shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in which the Irish missed another spot kick during the game.
"It's frustrating. Once we equalised, Ireland should
definitely have won the game," Charlton
said in a column in Monday's Daily Mirror.
"There are no excuses. The penalties were just dreadful.
"I don't feel for the
players who missed them at all.''
However, speaking to the BBC on Monday morning, Charlton said that he has not seen the article as he was still in Japan.
''I have not read the article or what has been said or how it has been put,'' explained Charlton.
''I just said that I was surprised that the quality of the penalties was as bad as it was.
''I saw on television that they were still practicing penalties the way we did in the past with Niall Quinn in goals.
''I said 'great we're going to go through here, the lads are good at penalties'.
''But I was surprised at the poor quality.
''Yes, the pressure is terrible, but they are professional people.
''I turned away from a few, but not one of them was of good quality.
''I was expecting us to win, and it was even worse for me because I was standing at the game shouting."
Current manager Mick McCarthy said he had no criticism for the players who missed.
"Matt Holland and Kevin Kilbane have had great tournaments but it's sad - their abiding memory will be missing a penalty," he told the BBC's Match of the Day programme.
"Practicing them in training means absolutely nothing. Those boys have been smashing them in during training."
McCarthy was disappointed by the defeat but looking forward to the team's reception when they return home.
"I'm very proud of what we've achieved, but we're going home now.
"We've played one of the potential winners but I think we've done them irreperable damage."
Charlton agreed that his former side should have beaten the Spanish - down to 10 men because of an injury - after they had equalised with a late penalty in normal time.
Holland, Kilbane and David
Connolly all failed from the spot in the shoot-out.
Ian Harte had missed an earlier effort in normal time.
''You don't blame Mick McCarthy, you don't blame anybody. I'm talking about me being upset.
''We went out of the competition. We could well be still in it.''
Charlton's own Irish side won a shoot-out at this stage against Romania in the 1990 tournament.