Runjaic explains Alaba bench call: ‘His last official game was three months ago’
UDINE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 07: Kosta Runjaic, Udinese manager, looks on during the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio and SS Lazio at Stadio Friuli on September 07, 2026 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
Kosta Runjaic is convinced David Alaba will soon be at his best for Udinese, but the former Real Madrid defender started on the bench against Torino on Monday night.
With quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb, the Udinese coach explained his decision to DAZN before kick-off at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.
Alaba joined as a free agent last month on a deal until June 2027, having been without a club since his Real Madrid contract expired in June. He insisted at his unveiling last week that he felt ready to play, but he has since admitted that he doesn’t yet have 90 minutes in his legs.
“I’m very happy that he signed and that he decided to come to us,” Runjaic said. “I believe Alaba will do us a lot of good thanks to his experience, his quality, his value and his human qualities, given that he’s integrated into the group quickly.”
Runjaic on Alaba’s fitness: ‘We need to manage him’
The coach warned, however, that Alaba’s lack of match practice means he has to be handled carefully.
“His last official game was three months ago, so we need to manage him. He’s an exemplary professional who made himself available straight away, and he’s ready on the bench. Maybe we’ll see him during the game, but I’m sure we’ll soon see him at his best.”
Udinese have won only once in five league games, and Runjaic used the three-week break to work on the details after defeat to Cagliari.
“It was a long break, especially after the Cagliari game, which didn’t make us happy. We had around 13 or 14 players every day to work on the details with, and we also played a friendly in Poland. It was the right balance between rest and hard work. Some players who were coming back from physical problems or injuries, like Arizala, Palma and Zanoli, have returned, although with Zanoli it was a minor fatigue issue and we preferred not to take any risks given his previous cruciate ligament injury.”
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