Runjaic criticizes Okoye's mistake in Udinese loss

Udinese manager Kosta Runjaic has expressed his disappointment over a big miscommunication between goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and defender Nicolò Bertola. This mistake led to Torino winning 2-1 in their Serie A match on Monday night.

After the game at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, Runjaic admitted that the defensive error in the 67th minute allowed substitute Sandro Kulenović to score into an empty net. He felt this mistake cost his team a well-deserved point.

"Without that error between Bertola and Okoye, the match would probably have ended in a draw," Runjaic told DAZN. "We lost because of a big mistake. It was a lack of communication and perception, and with mistakes like these you end up losing games."

This loss was Udinese's fourth in a row in the league, putting them in a tough spot near the relegation zone with only four points from six matches. Despite acknowledging that his team played reasonably well, especially with Jurgen Ekkelenkamp’s equalizer in the first half, Runjaic pointed out that individual mistakes keep hurting their chances.

The coach called for his players to improve quickly. He wants them to regroup and stop the losing streak.