Udinese coach Andrea Stramaccioni has hit out at critics accusing him and his players of having packed it in for the season as the Zebrette play host to Sampdoria on Sunday.
Rumours continue to swirl that the Bianconeri will appoint Chievo coach Rolando Maran for next season, but Stramaccioni remains adamant that he and his players are giving their all in the final matches of the season.
“We have not lowered our guard because it is important to finish well,” he stated at his pre-match press conference.
“I can’t accuse my players of a drop in concentration, in fact, at Verona I saw a great spirit and I want to see on the pitch tomorrow.
“You also see it in me: I am not applying any turnovers, I always put the best 11 players and I believe it is a signal the players have understood. We want to continue getting results.
“Sampdoria? I think that Samp have created a very competitive squad by investing a lot, even in January.
“They have a great group of strikers and are one of the few teams that are dangerous in open space and with the defence in a set position.
“Tomorrow, even if the temperatures will be hot, it will not be easy to press them for the entire match as they can hurt us. It’s a shame, but not a problem, to play this match at 15:00 because it will play a factor in the energy levels of the players.
“However we have trained a lot for this.”
