28 July 2021
28 July 2021

Gotti: “We learnt a lot from this match”

The coach talked tactics, youngsters and pre-season preparations after the friendly against Sturm Graz

gotti.jpeg
Udinese coach Luca Gotti spoke to Udinese TV after a battling 3-2 defeat against Sturm Graz in Sankt Veit. 
 
As he enters his second full season leading the Fruilani in Serie A, he was pleased with what he saw from his team in this pre-season test, despite the scoreline. 
 
“I learnt a lot from this match. I wanted to see how the players operate in different positions. We know this is the trickiest time of the season in terms of the players’ physical condition and of course it's more difficult against an opponent already up to speed like Sturm Graz. I also wanted to test out a few youngsters, so we’ll take note of everything with three weeks to go until the start of the season.”

Two potentially key players for the upcoming season, Ignacio Pussetto and Mato Jajalo, are currently returning from injury. Both featured in the game, with Pussetto grabbing a goal, and Gotti revealed he was delighted with both.

“Pussetto hasn't missed a single training session this pre-season. I thought it would take him at least another month to get to where he is today. He had a great chance midway through the first half and then he enjoyed his goal just before half time. He always works enthusiastically and with a smile on his face. 
 
“Jajalo is also further ahead in his preparation than we anticipated. Today he took a knock to the same knee he’d been operated on and we were a little worried, but it doesn't look like anything serious.”
 
He also gave an update on the progress of new loan signing Destiny Udogie.

“Udogie is a strong young man with a great personality and we’re doing everything we can to help settle him in. Every day we’re learning what his strengths are and where he could improve. The signs are good and he’s shown us some glimpses of his talent.”
 
Finally, as Udinese head into a new season aiming to improve on last year’s 14th-place finish, Gotti outlined the importance of building on that campaign and discussed the squad’s tactical preparations.

“We’ve spoken with the squad about the idea of changing something tactically, but in the meantime it's best for the group to build on what they showed last season. The start of the season, which isn’t as far away as it seems, is going to be very tough so it’s better to play to our strengths. For now we’ll keep any new ideas up our sleeves but they could be put into practice if certain players join.”