Coach Luca Gotti confessed the Udinese dressing room ‘looked like a battlefield’ after the narrow defeat to Lecce on Wednesday.
Udinese were already safe ahead of the tie, but the coach claimed the Friuli had agreed to pick up ‘as many points as possible’ on Wednesday.
Samir gave the hosts the lead after 36 minutes but the Giallorossi responded with a penalty goal by Marco Mancosu four minutes later and Gotti felt the visitors used the momentum well to claim all the spoils in second half.
Coach Luca Gotti confessed the Udinese dressing room ‘looked like a battlefield’ after the narrow defeat to Lecce on Wednesday.
Udinese were already safe ahead of the tie, but the coach claimed the Friuli had agreed to pick up ‘as many points as possible’ on Wednesday.
Samir gave the hosts the lead after 36 minutes but the Giallorossi responded with a penalty goal by Marco Mancosu four minutes later and Gotti felt the visitors used the momentum well to claim all the spoils in second half.
“I refuse to believe that our lack of motivation caused this because we told each other that we would try to do everything to get as many points as possible,” Gotti told Udinese TV.
“The penalty we gave away was naïve at the end of the first half and naturally injected Lecce with confidence.
“It’s normal that they then do everything they can, and we went beyond the reserves of energy. Without naming names, I can tell you that two players who played tonight wouldn’t have been picked to play had they not made themselves available.
“Only the youth players would have been available, and it would have been difficult to take on the responsibility of facing a team that plays to stay in Serie A.
“We didn’t take advantage of several opportunities in the first half and we conceded from a penalty, allowing very little.
“From there on, the game was channelled in the wrong direction until finishing with a defeat.
“The dressing room looked like a battlefield of exhausted people and others on crutches who cheered on those who played.
“This was an anomalous and complicated championship; we can only try to give everything we have.”