14 October 2016
Following his appointment as Udinese manager on 4 October, Luigi Del Neri has had little over a week – and one dominated by World Cup qualifiers at that – to prepare his side for tomorrow’s trip to Juventus Stadium.
“You can’t perform miracles after such a short time together,” Del Neri opened. “We’re working hard and need to stay positive. Juventus are a team without weaknesses and everything they have achieved over these recent years has been fully deserved.
“That’s not to say, however, that we don’t have a chance to make our own mark on the game. We need to be ready to take that chance if and when it presents itself.”
Del Neri has inherited an Udinese side sitting in 16th place in Serie A, but, while admitting that taking on the league leaders in his first game in charge represented a serious challenge, the former Bianconeri manager called for his players to show what they are made of on the night.
“We need to take the bull by the horns out on the pitch without waiting to see what our opponents come up with. The result of tomorrow’s match might seem academic, but we need to be brave. We’ve many young players who can keep going for 90 minutes and put pressure on the opposition. Juventus Stadium can provide a certain energy and it’s up to the lads to give their all out there.”
