With the start of the season now upon us, regular helpings of Udinese Tonight are back, featuring a host of the club’s stars.
In the studio on Monday night was Sandi Lovric. The Slovenian midfielder discussed the match in Bologna and much more.
“When a team reaches the Champions League, it’s not by chance, so we were playing against a strong Bologna side. We knew we were in for a very tough away match and wanted to start on the right foot, which we did by earning an important point. We approached the game in the right way. We want to play aggressively and defend high up the pitch to apply early pressure and stay closer to the opponents’ goal. We know we need to be more aggressive. Yesterday’s point is a first step and gives us confidence. There are things to improve, but our idea is to push forward aggressively.
“Playing with two in midfield suits me well. The important thing is that we take up the right spaces and get the balance between attack and defence right. This is a very important aspect. There are difficult moments in the game where you have to find solutions. Before the penalty, we were too deep and couldn’t get up the pitch. When the distances are too large, you give more away. With [Martin] Payero, we alternate, so if one goes higher, the other drops back.
“Jaka [Bijol] and I returned later after the European Championships, so we’re still a bit behind. We had a very tough, albeit shorter, pre-season. [Kosta] Runjaic has a different mentality and working style. He demands a lot of professionalism. He always wants to play good football, but the mentality and style of work are very good.
“I chose the number 8 myself because I’ve always liked it a lot. I hope to do well wearing this number. My idols have always been [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo. I am very religious. For me, God plays a big role in my life, giving me strength and I’m proud of this. He is always there in difficult moments. I’m happy for [Lazar] Samardzic. I wish him the best and hope he can make another step up in quality. The transfer market is part of football, but I’m very happy here. I know what I have here in Udine and I’m pleased to be here.
“[Alexis] Sanchez is incredible. He arrived here in great shape. It’s wonderful for everyone to have him here, not just for what he does on the pitch, but also for the mentality he brings. If you have played for all those top clubs, it means you have a different type of mentality.”