Udinese Suffers Heavy Defeat to Roma as Manager Faces Uncertain Future
UDINE, ITALY – In a disappointing match on Saturday evening, Udinese endured a 5-2 loss at home to Roma, marking their seventh defeat in eight league games. Following this setback, manager Kosta Runjaic acknowledged the precarious nature of his position, stating, “it’s not up to me to decide” if he remains the right leader for the struggling team.
Udinese found themselves 4-0 down at halftime, conceding goals to Bryan Cristante, Rodrigo Mora, Donyell Maen, and Evan Ndicka. Although Nicolo Zaniolo and Matteo Palma managed to reduce the deficit in the second half, Daniele Ghilardi’s injury-time goal sealed the victory for Roma.
Runjaic addressed the press after the match, emphasizing the need for better defensive performance: “I agree, we should have defended much better for the goals we conceded; it was too easy for the opponents.” He described the experience as “a dark evening” for his team, stressing the necessity to react positively moving forward.
When questioned about his decision to refrain from making substitutions while trailing 4-0 at the break, Runjaic defended his choice: “We had already conceded four goals, and we decided to stay as we were. Do you think that we could have made any changes that would have really changed the game? You don’t get anywhere with ifs and buts.”
Runjaic reflected on the challenges faced by his squad, particularly against a high-quality team like Roma. He expressed confidence in his players: “Palma is our youngest guy, and he gave everything. The boys gave everything but it wasn’t enough.”
As pressure mounts on Runjaic, who oversees a team now positioned at the bottom of the league with just five points from ten matches, he acknowledged the need for collective focus and hard work: “We can’t bury our heads in the sand… today we lost the duels and this is where we conceded the goals.”
Despite the ongoing struggles, Runjaic maintained a calm demeanor, insisting that the team has the potential to turn their fortunes around, though he reiterated, “it’s not up to me to decide whether I’m the person to do that.”
