Udinese goalkeeper Daniele Padelli has come to the defence of teammate Maduka Okoye following growing criticism of the Nigerian international amid the club’s difficult season.
Okoye has faced intense scrutiny over his recent performances for the Zebras, having conceded 25 goals and recorded just one clean sheet in the current campaign.
Padelli: Okoye Has Become a Scapegoat
However, Padelli believes Okoye is being unfairly singled out for the team’s struggles, insisting that individual players should not bear the blame for collective shortcomings.
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“In these situations, you look for a scapegoat. It’s happened to everyone, it happened to me too. Against Venezia, however, the most decisive goalkeeper for the result was Stankovic,” Padelli told TV 12, as quoted on Udinese’s official website.
The Italian goalkeeper also stressed the importance of building a collective team identity rather than focusing on individual mistakes.
“We’re trying to build a team identity, not focus on individuals. If they score, you struggle mentally, the spaces open up even more, and you struggle more and more.
“We’re not doing everything poorly; we’ve created some things, but the ball is now very important. If the team isn’t playing well, even the individuals struggle. We need to get out of this moment of mental fragility; we need a breath of fresh air.”
By Adeboye Amosu
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