At the press conference ahead of the away match in the Europa League against Belgian side Union, Roma’s head coach Ivan Juric spoke about the team’s psychological reset after receiving a day off, which he believes will help focus on the upcoming match against the Belgian club. A victory in this match could enhance the morale of the Giallorossi, which took a hit following a surprising defeat to Verona (2:3) in the last round of Serie A, reports TuttoMercatoWeb:
– “Against Union, we need to deliver an excellent performance – it’s essential for boosting our morale. I feel a certain confidence – it is clear that we must achieve the desired result and we are now focused on that. Even before the match with Verona, we had planned a day off to unwind after all the psychological efforts – the team had a chance to recharge their batteries and prepare better for Union. It pains me to have to discuss certain game episodes because results matter, not discussions. However, if we look at the match against Verona, losing that game was, at the very least, wrong. But sometimes individual episodes determine the entire picture and the final score on the board.
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– Did the Friedkin family contact you?
– Yes, we’ve been in touch – I think everything is clear here, and there is no need to elaborate too much on this topic.
– What do you plan to do during this period when a rise is followed by a drop?
– After Fiorentina, we played two quality matches, considering how many chances we created. We analyzed both the conceded goals and the refereeing mistakes. In terms of gameplay, everything was very positive; we just lacked the results, which disappointed all the players. I believe the boys should stick to this playing philosophy but add a bit more focus and fighting spirit – results will come if we believe in ourselves and our capabilities on the pitch.
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– The team is trying to play positionally, controlling the ball for extended periods – is this what you practice in training?
– In my opinion, Roma not only has a high percentage of ball possession but also does well in ball recovery. Both aspects are going quite well for us – in some matches, we frequently intercepted the ball, were aggressive, and dominated possession – to be honest, I like all of this. We only suffer from not achieving the best results, and in terms of aggressiveness, high pressing, quick ball recovery, and approaches to the opponent’s goal, I have no complaints. The same goes for ball control – both during build-up and in other phases. Except against Fiorentina, we were terrible in transitional phases – the team lost concentration, became disjointed, and some players were essentially asleep on the pitch.
– Have you decided on the lineup for the match against Union and then in Serie A? Or do you prefer to take it game by game?
– Of course, we take it game by game – for now, we are more focused on how to beat Union to lift the team’s morale. Regardless of the lineup, who will be on the pitch or who won’t, we concentrate a lot on our own game. It doesn’t matter if it’s Serie A or the Europa League – the tournament doesn’t matter; what matters more is our psychological state. In the game against Verona, I remember a couple of shots from the opponent, a set piece, and not a single save from Svilar. In the match against Torino, we allowed only four shots towards our goal; against Verona, statistically, there were seven conceded shots, but what stuck in my mind was not those, but the mood of my players. In the first half, they understood that the game was going well; they were confident they could turn the match around in their favor – and they put in all the effort to achieve success. But it didn’t happen. Therefore, we absolutely need to do everything possible to win this match, and then think about the next round of the Italian championship.
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