Udinese manager, Kosta Runjaic, has blamed a defensive error involving Nigeria goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and defender Nicolo Bertola for his side’s 2-1 defeat to Torino in Serie A on Monday.
The loss at the Olimpico Grande Torino marked Udinese’s fourth consecutive defeat, with Runjaic insisting that the costly mistake that led to the winning goal denied his team a chance to earn at least a point.
Torino took the lead in the first half through Daniel Bragança before Udinese responded with an equaliser from Jurgen Ekkelenkamp before the break.
However, Torino restored their advantage after the restart when substitute Sandro Kulenović scored into an empty net following a collision between Okoye and Bertola.
The Nigerian goalkeeper had moved off his line to intercept a long pass but collided with his teammate, allowing Kulenović to take advantage and score what proved to be the winning goal.
Reacting to the defeat, Runjaic identified the defensive mix-up as the turning point, saying Udinese would have secured a draw if the incident had not occurred.
“Primarily, we must address the error committed by Bertola and Okoye,” the German coach said, according to Diretta.
“Had that mistake not occurred, the match would have ended in a draw. We have suffered four consecutive defeats as a result of errors.”
The Udinese manager also expressed disappointment with the result, despite acknowledging his team’s performance during the encounter.
“This outcome is unsatisfactory to me, and as a team, we remain dissatisfied, despite our respectable performance this evening,” he added.
