Udinese Not Affected By Okoye's Alleged Betting Scandal- Runjaic

Udinese Not Affected By Okoye's Alleged Betting Scandal- Runjaic

Ibrahim Lateef

As Udinese prepares to face Como at Sinigaglia on Monday night, Kosta Runjaic says the Friulians are not affected by the betting scandal case linking Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.

Recall the Udine Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into Okoye, as the goalkeeper was suspected of illegal betting practices.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, betting agency Sisal reported unusual gambling patterns detected by its algorithms, as people placed an abnormal amount of bets on the likelihood of Okoye being booked during Udinese’s away clash at Lazio in March of 2024, with the goalkeeper receiving a yellow card for time-wasting after 64 minutes.

Asked if Okoye's case affects the team in the locker room, Runjaic said.

"We haven't talked about it; we're focused on Como; I'm very present in the locker room; maybe the lads talked about it among themselves, but I can't know that.

 "I'm the coach and I like to talk about formations, football, tactics. The atmosphere is still very good; the team spirit is there, and we're working diligently and with intensity. What matters is that tomorrow we have to put the best part of ourselves on the field."