Gabriele Cioffi says Udinese are ready to go again having been able to restore some sort of normality during the international break following their Covid-blighted January.
“The international break was so important for us to get back to playing football and training properly again after the tsunami we went through,” the coach explained at a press conference before Sunday's game against Torino. “We've improved a lot. We're not 100% but I'm very confident.”
How are Nehuen Perez and Nahuel Molina doing after returning from international duty?
“Playing for your national team is a great buzz so I can only empathise with how they felt after being called up. They've come back a bit tired but highly motivated.”
Torino were one of the league's form sides before the break. What do you think of Ivan Juric's side?
“Torino have improved loads. The first thing you notice is they're an aggressive side who attack quickly but they're much more than that. I think they cover the pitch better than most. They create lots of passing options. They're very tough opponents.”
You often say 'one pedal stroke at a time'. Is that the motto for Udinese in this month of February with lots of tough matches?
“We have to improve through hard work so we must focus on the here and now, on every single training session, in every match. We can't look any further ahead. Our priority is staying up and to do that we must focus on one match at a time.”