In a stunning turnaround, Ivan Juric’s tenure as Roma’s new head coach began with a resounding 3-0 victory over Udinese. The Giallorossi, who had struggled at the start of the season, finally found their form with goals from Dovbyk, Dybala (from the penalty spot), and Baldanzi. Following the match, the Croatian manager shared his thoughts on the team’s performance in an interview with Sky Sport.
Juric expressed surprise at the team’s rapid adaptation to his tactics, stating, “We did well, very well in the first half. I think in the second half we started to lose our distances a bit at times. We could do these things a little better. There was a good response, I think, from the team.”
Addressing the challenging atmosphere surrounding the club, particularly for veteran players like Cristante and Pellegrini, Juric revealed, “I found the boys extremely sorry for De Rossi’s dismissal. They were very sincere with me in saying that they were very sorry. It’s something I appreciated a lot because sometimes players hide these things, but in them you could see that they were sad, that they had given everything and that they had not managed to get good results.”
When asked about Roma’s potential under his leadership, Juric remained cautious but optimistic. “We need to see if we can keep it up. There’s rhythm, the response was beautiful. I think they have the ability to play this type of football. Now we have many new players that we need to integrate well, who are a bit behind. I ask for new concepts that some perceive immediately, some need more, this is normal.”
The manager praised the performance of his wide players, noting, “They were a bit used to certain situations, even last year they played games with three at the back. I liked both of them with their characteristics. There’s Celik, who is very tough defensively, gave a big hand. Then there’s El Shaarawy, who is offensive, as with the first goal, he accelerates, gives assists. I liked them. We hope to recover Zalewski, to have more options, because it’s a demanding role and I think they can do well.”
Regarding Zalewski’s recovery, Juric shared, “Tomorrow he’s already training with the team. I hope it resolves, because we’re a bit short there and I hope it resolves positively for everyone.”
When asked about the recent resignation of the club’s CEO, Lina Souloukou, Juric expressed his sympathy, saying, “I found out via Sky, the news came out while we were eating. I’m sorry because there were family situations, children are always the top priority, I can imagine what would happen to me with my daughters. I’m very sorry for her on a human level, it’s really a very difficult time.”
Juric concluded by emphasizing the team’s focus moving forward: “We need to think about training well, playing games well
