Torino coach Ivan Juric is ‘very happy’ to have Duvan Zapata score the equaliser against Roma, the club he nearly joined. ‘It would’ve been awfully harsh to lose this match.’
The Giallorossi had taken the lead when Romelu Lukaku controlled with his back to goal and turned Alessandro Buongiorno, but Duvan Zapata got his head to an Ivan Ilic free kick for the late equaliser.
It was particularly special, considering Duvan Zapata was on the verge of joining Roma this summer before heading to the Granata instead.
“We are happy he is here, that this opportunity was created that we did not expect. He showed a great desire to come and we are pleased he is with us,” Juric told DAZN.
“I liked my team a lot, in their approach play and attitude, even the Roma goal we were in the right positions, but the deflection off Tameze changed things. Everyone who came off the bench did really well too, it would’ve been awfully harsh to lose this match.”
Juric surprised in the closing stages when chasing the game, as he was playing centre-forwards Tonny Sanabria, Duvan Zapata and Pietro Pellegri simultaneously.
“I do not want to lose Sanabria. I gave him a week to get over the disappointment, but I want to use him as much as possible, when we play against a four-man defence even more effectively than against three. This is a big club with a lot of competition for places and that is how it ought to be.”
The Toro coach had been so bitterly critical of the squad and even the supporters after a heavy defeat to Milan, but feels they have all turned a corner.
“The atmosphere was fired up from start to finish, the fans cheered on the team and never complained, this was what I wanted to see. We had a very negative start this season, but now I can see we have a team and must prove it match by match.
“I think in the defeat to Milan we lost sight of our values, it was a real betrayal, there were signs of total collapse. Those were tough weeks, we managed to at least fight back against Genoa, then better with Salernitana and tonight I really am satisfied with the attitude of my men.”
Curiously, Torino will be against the other Stadio Olimpico representatives on Wednesday when they visit Lazio in the Serie A midweek round.