Udinese manager Kosta Runjaic shared his thoughts ahead of the team’s upcoming match against Fiorentina, emphasizing the need for improvement and overcoming limitations. He acknowledged the quality of Fiorentina, particularly praising their attacking prowess and high-pressing style. Runjaic noted that Fiorentina’s current league position is well-deserved, setting the stage for a difficult encounter.
Reflecting on Udinese’s recent matches against Inter and Napoli, Runjaic highlighted both positive and negative aspects of their play. He stressed the importance of reducing mistakes and developing greater maturity as a team. He stated, “We need to cut down the mistakes and become more mature. If you fall behind to teams like this, it’s difficult to come back. We’ve spoken together as a team and we’re working on the mistakes.” He added, “We definitely need to improve in certain situations. We are training to avoid these mistakes, but we must consider that there are also opponents on the field.”
Runjaic detailed the team’s training schedule, mentioning recovery work for players who featured in the recent Milan game and plans for a crucial full-squad session to finalize tactics for the Fiorentina match. He noted, “Today is our second training session after the game in Milan. Tomorrow will be an important training session with everyone together.”
Regarding player updates, he emphasized the importance of Alexis Sanchez regaining full fitness and consistency, recognizing his potential impact on the team. “He’s a very important player for us,” Runjaic said about Sanchez. “It was good for him to make his debut and put in a decent performance. Now he needs consistency.” He provided updates on several players, including Sandi Lovric, Martin Payero, and Keinan Davis, with varying timelines for their return to full training and availability.
The coach praised Florian Thauvin’s quality and leadership, expressing satisfaction with his recent performances despite challenging fixtures. “Thauvin is a key player for us,” he remarked. “He’s a quality player with a lot of experience who wins games.”
For the upcoming game against Fiorentina, Runjaic outlined the need for a collective effort to counter their opponents’ strengths. He emphasized maintaining shape, playing around Fiorentina’s press, and winning individual duels. “Against Fiorentina we’ll all need to work together to make it hard for them,” he stated.
In closing, Runjaic issued a rallying call for his team, asserting, “We must overcome our limits if we want to get points, which is the goal of course. Then we’ll see how it goes.”
