As Serie A resumes after the Christmas break, Udinese prepare to face Torino at the Bluenergy Stadium for their final match of 2024. Head coach Kosta Runjaic held a press conference to discuss the upcoming game and the challenges posed by the Granata.
Reflecting on the recent victory against Fiorentina and an open training session with fans, Runjaic acknowledged the positive atmosphere surrounding the team: “Certainly, the win in Florence was beneficial for us. The atmosphere during the week has been good, and we had already planned our training sessions before that success. The open training was even more enjoyable with this enthusiasm. I saw many young fans, and it’s important for a club like Udinese to have a close connection with supporters. There is a lot of excitement, and with that, we can have a good match, although it won’t be enough on its own. We need to work well when we don’t have possession and aim to add quality when we regain the ball.”
Discussing potential pitfalls against Torino, he noted: “Torino started the season well but has slowed down in terms of results. They are capable of playing advanced possession football. We need to show a high level of performance and leverage the support of our fans to secure three points in this last home game.”
Runjaic addressed the need to eliminate errors: “I agree that we need to remove our naivety. We played well in the second half against Fiorentina, but we didn’t start strongly. We know these mistakes can be fatal. We have learned from past experiences and are working every day to improve. Our goal is to prevent these errors from happening again.”
When asked about his defensive lineup, he stated: “We haven’t decided yet; we are still reflecting on our options.”
Regarding Torino’s strengths and weaknesses, he said: “They have defenders who play well with the ball at their feet and contribute significantly to building from the back. They possess aggressive wingers and a very experienced goalkeeper who can be dangerous with his long throws. They have several tactical solutions at their disposal, so we must avoid sitting too deep or pressing too high to mitigate their long balls. We need to stay focused on second balls and play proactively when in possession.”
Runjaic was also asked about his impressions of other Serie A teams: “After this game, we will face Verona, and then I will be able to assess things better. Many teams have played well against us with great individual talent. Teams like Inter have strong structures, while Atalanta is very difficult to play against. Napoli has also posed significant challenges for us.”
On injury updates, he confirmed: “Bijol will play; Payero will be available but won’t start as he hasn’t trained enough with the team. It’s good to have him with us, and I hope we’ll have Davis back next week as well. We will gradually recover all players like Zarraga and Giannetti.”
Regarding Sanchez’s potential playing time, Runjaic said: “I understand there is great interest in him, which is justified. He won’t start as he needs more time to adapt to our system. Depending on how the game evolves, he might come on as a substitute. I still have some doubts about the lineup that I will consider tonight.”
He added about expectations surrounding a potential victory: “There are many expectations, and we are ambitious. We know where we started from and are in a good place in our process. The match is important for us as is the one against Hellas Verona afterward. We can improve our standings further, but our goal is stability. There are teams with higher expectations than ours, like Torino, who have fallen behind a bit. We are making errors too frequently; if we can eliminate those mistakes, we can talk about taking another step forward.”
Runjaic concluded by expressing his desire for fans to connect with the team: “I expect to see a focused team on the pitch so that fans can identify with this squad. These are details that cannot be described in words but are what make fans proud.”
