After Alaba's Debut: Runjaic Wants to Focus on the Entire Team

David Alaba made his Serie A debut for Udinese Calcio on Monday.

The Austrian international was substituted in the 72nd minute but had to accept a bitter 1-2 defeat for his team on the sixth matchday against FC Torino (to the match report >>>).

After the match, coach Kosta Runjaic had words of praise for his protégé. "I believe he will help us with his experience, his communication, and his energy during the week," he said in an interview with DAZN.

Nevertheless, he added: "We shouldn't now focus all our attention on Alaba. Alaba is part of the team, so all players must remain focused at the highest level."

Runjaic Relies on a Stable Defense

They now need to prepare for the upcoming matches. US Lecce awaits as the next opponent on Sunday.

Runjaic is convinced of his team's ability but also knows what will be crucial: "The foundation for that is always the defense. If you have a fantastic and solid defense, I don't worry about goals because I believe we can score at least one goal in every game against every opponent," he emphasized.

In the standings, Udinese is in 15th place after the defeat. They have not won their last five matches.