Torino boss Ivan Juric confirms he wants the club to buy Nikola Vlasic on a permanent deal and is ‘sorry’ for how Andrea Belotti left the Granata in the summer.
Juric’s Torino host Roma at the Stadio Grande Torino on Friday.
“They are a great team, they don’t need much to score and they are dangerous on set pieces, we must be perfect,” said Juric during a pre-match press conference on Friday.
The Granata will face their ex-captain Belotti, who joined Roma as a free agent at the end of his contract with Torino last summer.
Juric confirmed he had an “excellent” relationship with the Italy international but was “sorry for the way he left Torino.”
“Sometimes it’s not perceived the difference between the rapport with the fans and the club,” argued the coach. “He could have left in a better way, but he’s an exceptional lad, always available and a good person.”
Antonio Sanabria will start up front against the Giallorossi after scoring in his third consecutive away match against Sassuolo this past Monday. Pietro Pellegri is available but will start on the bench.
“He [Pellegri] is looking for balance, he must be left free to train with his rhythm to come to terms with his body,” said Juric.
“Hopefully, Sanabria will continue like this. He scored a great goal [against Sassuolo] and Pellegri is an alternative.”
Nikola Vlasic hasn’t contributed to any Torino goal in 2023 after scoring four and delivering two assists in the first part of the season. Nevertheless, Juric would like to keep his compatriot at the club next season and the same is true of Aleksei Miranchuk, who is on loan from Atalanta.
“I prefer having as many players as possible with whom I’ve worked,” confirmed Juric when asked specifically about the future of the Torino pair.
“When you work with them for a year, they often tend to improve in the following season. The more players we confirm, the better.”
Vlasic joined Torino on loan from West Ham last summer and the Granata have an option to buy for €15m at the end of the season.
As a foreigner living in Italy for many years, Juric was asked his thoughts on the racist incidents that occurred at the Allianz Stadium in Turin during the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg between Juventus and Inter on Tuesday.
“Some situations aren’t nice,” he admitted.
“We foreigners must make a step towards the country hosting us, it’s fundamental to accept the culture. I’ve always felt well in these years, there isn’t real racism, but sometimes bad things happen.
“Not enough has been done, and we keep repeating the same things. I’ve been called ‘gipsy’ sometimes, nothing huge, things I could handle well.”