Igor Tudor spoke to Raisport`s Domenica Sportiva, sharing his thoughts on the game:
Was the draw a fair result? Juventus dominated and were aggressive in the first half. What about this point?
“It`s acceptable. We had a good first half, showing interesting plays and great desire. We started well. I really liked it because it wasn`t a given, considering where we`re coming from, from all points of view. We came here with a lot of personality, and we performed well. In the second half, they started a bit stronger, and we conceded a goal from a corner. In the end, we wanted to score the second goal, we pushed, but we couldn`t manage it. It`s understandable against a Roma team that has won 7 games in a row. We accept this draw, which gives us even more awareness to work harder for the upcoming games, which are all important.”
How much is the team assimilating your work? How much is your team able to freely make the right decisions on the field at the right time?
“That`s a good question because when you arrive at a team you don`t know well from all points of view, especially mentally and physically, you start working. You have to be very careful because if you introduce too many things, you end up causing confusion. On the other hand, you have to start working on certain aspects. So, you add one piece at a time, we work on the wing-backs, on preventing plays, many players, we bring aggression, and then gradually we add other things. I liked it, I saw many good things, not for long periods yet, but to achieve that for longer periods, you need to be physically fit, work during the week and take it to a slightly higher level. There`s a great desire from the players, there are engines that can do it. I`m happy, I told the guys that today they were a serious team. It`s not a given to come here, with a young team, with the desire to play, it gives us awareness and optimism for the future, for the next games.”
I really liked seeing 6 Juventus players in the penalty area in the goal action. This is the right mentality.
“Thank you, you have to push hard. The club is increasingly demanding, and people who watch football want to have fun. I always believe in scoring one more goal, I believe in that, even if I never want to concede. You always need balance, but you always have to go for goals. The future of football will surely go in that direction. Then, it`s clear that in Italy we are masters at conceding little to other teams, and that needs to be cultivated, it`s not something that shouldn`t be done, quite the opposite. It could be an advantage, but going forward you always need to bring courage and desire to score.”