Udinese Coach Runjaic: We Could Have Taken One Point, but the Team Gave Everything

Udinese coach Runjaic said after the defeat to Lazio that the team had been affected by injuries, but he was still proud of the players' performance.

Lazio's comeback left everyone at Udinese very disappointed. Udinese took the lead through Karlstrom, but in the second half they conceded two goals from Frattesi and Gudmundsson. After the match, Runjaic attended the press conference, analyzing the team's performance and providing updates on the injured players.

Runjaic emphasized that although the team was forced to make two substitutions due to injuries in the first half, there were still many positive aspects in their performance over the opening 45 minutes. He said: "I was satisfied with the first 45 minutes. Although two players were injured, we still played well, but our squad depth is not as strong as Lazio's. We were forced to use two substitution slots because of this, and the match was very intense. In the first half, we could have controlled possession better and allowed the opponents to launch too many counterattacks. Tavares is a player who can keep running constantly, Zaccagni is very intelligent, and Isaksen is the same."

Runjaic continued: "After taking the lead in the second half, we should have slowed the tempo down. If we had been more experienced, we could have taken one point, but the team gave everything and I am proud of them."

Regarding taking Davis off, Runjaic said: "He played three matches in 10 days. He performed well, had strong attacking impact, and caused a lot of problems for the opposition center-backs. I did not want to take risks."

Runjaic also discussed Abankwah's situation: "Abankwah also has a minor injury and still needs to adapt to Serie A. Before the international break, we still have two tough matches, and after that Zaniolo and Zanoli will return. Lazio have more experience and stronger individual ability. Frattesi is an excellent player and is important whether he starts or comes off the bench. We said before the match that we were not the favorites, but we gave everything."

Speaking about the impact of the new rules on match tempo and player fitness management, Runjaic said: "The new rules make the game faster, but I do not know whether injuries are caused by this. We still have a lot of work to do. The intensity of the previous matches has been very high, and the cup matches were the same. Some players in the team have different levels of Serie A experience, and this largely depends on each person's physical condition. We must manage this situation well, but I am very optimistic and I really like my team. The players are disappointed, but this is also a good sign."

Regarding the injured players, Runjaic said: "Piotrowski was short of breath at the time, and we still do not know the reason. Sollet was injured during a dribble, and I cannot say more at the moment. Caktasvili did not play a single minute in the summer friendlies, and he still needs to continue training. He will recover better after the international break. Unai Gomez also needs to adapt to the physical contact and intensity of matches."