Venezia head coach Eusebio Di Francesco spoke to the media ahead of their Serie A clash against Udinese at Stadio Penzo. He shared insights on his team’s recent performances and the challenges they face in the upcoming match.
Reflecting on the recent draw against Monza, Di Francesco said, “Certainly, it gave us confidence. Looking at the performance, there are positive aspects and areas to improve. We did well to take the lead twice, but we needed to manage the result better and create more opportunities towards the end to try and bring home two extra points.” He expressed satisfaction with elements of the game, noting, “I saw many things I liked, such as our aggression and pursuit of goals. However, we still lack a bit of continuity.”
Addressing team changes for the match against Udinese, he confirmed that Idzes would be unavailable due to a family issue. “He asked to return to Holland this morning and will not be part of the squad. I hope to have him back for the next match, which will lead me to make some adjustments,” Di Francesco explained. He also criticized the scheduling, stating, “Udinese had two more days than us to prepare for the match, which I consider absolutely unfair.”
When discussing how to approach Udinese, he acknowledged their current form: “We must recognize that they are a confident opponent given their recent points accumulation. Having 48 extra hours for recovery allows them to field the same players from their last match.” He added that Udinese is adept at securing important points even when not playing their best.
Di Francesco humorously remarked on Udinese’s physicality: “They look like a basketball team! I might need to put my players on stilts.” He emphasized the need for Venezia to leverage their offensive strengths while being vigilant about defending set pieces and crosses, noting, “They cross more than any other team in the league and produce effective deliveries.”
On tactical changes, Di Francesco mentioned a shift to a fluid 3-4-2-1 formation: “We have changed our approach; we defend one way and attack another. We need to be dynamic and not give away any references.”
He confirmed that Altare would start in defense and discussed integrating new players: “With a five-man defense, we aim to utilize width effectively. Players like Lovric can become third attackers, depending on who plays.”
Di Francesco also touched on his relationship with Napoli’s coach Spalletti regarding tactical concepts: “He asked my permission to use a term I coined. Luciano is a great coach who shares ideas with others like me. We must be good at picking up what works well elsewhere.”
Finally, addressing Pohjanpalo’s recent performance despite not scoring, he stated, “I’m very pleased with his game against Monza. We can be useful even when we don’t score. Last year he started slowly but ended up being our top scorer. He is our captain and leader; I praised him for his performance.”
