According to reports, Igor Tudor, Juventus’ head coach, apologized to two substituted players after a dramatic 1-1 draw against Lazio in the 36th round of Serie A. He also explained the red card received by Pierre Kalulu. The match was crucial for securing a top-four position, as Juventus and Lazio were tied at 63 points before the game, alongside AS Roma under Claudio Ranieri.

Juventus took the lead in the 51st minute with a header from Randall Kolo Muani, but Kalulu’s red card in the 60th minute for an unnecessary challenge on Taty Castellanos made the game difficult for the team. Lazio equalized in the 90+6th minute with a goal from Matias Vecino.

Tudor stated after the match: “It was a fantastic game. Unfortunately, we lost two points in the final moments, but we will continue our path. There are two matches left, and despite multiple absences, the players gave their all. I congratulated them in the locker room, and we move forward with confidence.”

Juventus will face Udinese in the next match without Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nicolò Zaniolo, and Kalulu due to suspensions, but Kenan Yıldız will return after serving his two-match ban for unsporting behavior. Tudor commented on Kalulu’s red card: “It’s disappointing because we played with 10 men for a long time in the last two games. I don’t know how serious his challenge was, but it was an immature move. Kalulu is a good player and was very upset. We hope his suspension is only for one match.”

Tudor also addressed his controversial decision in the final minutes when he substituted Francesco Consigli and Vasilije Adžić for Dušan Vlahović and Federico Gatti. The decision was unusual, as Adžić had only been on the pitch for nine minutes after replacing Kolo Muani. He explained: “Gatti had just returned from injury, hadn’t trained with the team, and was still limping. We brought him in for five minutes if needed. I apologized to the two substituted players because this is rare, and I didn’t like it, but we needed experience and height. It was a strange decision, but I would do it again.”

Regarding Nico González’s substitution with Consigli, Tudor said: “González seemed tired and had issues, but Consigli had his best performance since I arrived. He fought hard and showed great movement.”

On the team’s injury struggles, Tudor added: “It’s a good question—where would we be if the squad was fully fit? I arrived at the end of the season and don’t know how the fitness training was planned. This team has high quality, and with two or three new players, it can reach a very high level, though it’s already performing well.”

Juventus still holds the advantage in head-to-head matches against Lazio after their 1-0 win in Turin earlier in the season. However, if Roma defeats Atalanta on Monday, they will overtake both teams, while Fiorentina and AC Milan could also close the gap in the standings.