UDINE, ITALY – MARCH 01: Udinese manager Kosta Runjaic during the Serie A match between Udinese and Parma at Stadio Friuli on March 01, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
Kosta Runjaic took charge after another costly mistake as Udinese suffered a fourth straight defeat in a 2-1 defeat in Torino.
Quoted by TuttoMercatoWeb , the Udinese coach compared goalkeeper Maduka Okoye’s crucial mistake to the one that cost his team the match against Cagliari before the national break.
“I’m always optimistic, that’s my approach to life,” Runjaic said. “We lost because of a big mistake, like the one with Cagliari. As a coach, I am responsible. It was a lack of communication and perception and you lose games with mistakes like that.”
Substitute Sandro Kulenovic punished a goalkeeping error to win it for Torino midway through the second half after Jurgen Ekkelenkamp had canceled out Daniel Braganca’s opener before the break.
Runjaic: “We have to encourage each other”
Runjaic also lamented his team’s lack of forwards and pointed out that Torino’s opener came from a certain piece of cloth.
“We didn’t score or create too many chances. The defensive error was costly, but Torino’s first goal came from a set piece. Congratulations to Torino. I will try to keep the team together and the morale high. In the end, the result was lost and we have to get through this moment by encouraging each other.”
Udinese are left with 4 points, but Runyaic was encouraged by the performances of Oumar Solet and Ekkelenkamp.
“Every game brings positive things. Solet’s back, which shows how important he is. Eckelenkamp has also confirmed his qualities and now we expect a lot of players to come back.”
David Alaba made his debut from the bench with 18 minutes remaining. Before kick-off, Runjaic explained that the former Real Madrid defender needed careful management after three months without competitive action.