Udinese comes into the 2014/15 season with a new coach, a new stadium, and a new lease on Serie A life.
Former Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni has joined the Little Zebras as replacement for Francesco Guidolin, the Stadio Friuli will be unveiling their renovated stadium, and Udinese does not have any silly distractions like Champions League or Europa League to prevent them from focusing on the domestic league.
Indeed for the first time since the 2010/11 season, Udinese has not qualify for Europe; meaning that their 13th place last season may actually be a blessing in disguise.
In short: the Zebrette are entering this season with a sense of renewal that they have not been privileged to in years.
Transfers
There are a number of new Little Zebras moving to Udine, with most of the signings for this season being in midfield. Panagiotis Kone joined from Bologna and Guilherme from Brazilian club Corinthians.Other additions include 31-year-old Cyril Thereau from Chievo, who will accompany 36-year-old Di Natale up front.
In defense, Nicola Belmonte also joined from Siena. The 27-year-old Italian will partner Udinese vice-captain Maurizio Domizzi to try to secure the seemingly always vulnerable backline.
However, the player to watch for this season will be Melker Hallberg. The 18-year-old Swedish midfielder joined from Kalmar FF. Hallberg was previously named the Allsvenskan Newcomer of the Year in 2013 for the Swedish domestic league and, at the age of just 16, was the youngest ever first team player for Kalmar FF.
Udinese fans should look forward to watching the young player be grow into the Udinese mould… albeit maybe only to see him sold to a bigger club next year.
Speaking of being sold, quite a few number of Zebrette have left Udinese.
The midfield has cleared out with Roberto Pereyra joining Juventus and Maicosuel off to Atletico Mineiro.
Additionally, Pablo Armero also left Udinese, despite having only recently being re-signed back from Napoli; the 27-year-old Colombian will be joining AC Milan on loan.
However, the most surprising transfer has been Dusan Basta’s. The 30-year-old Serbian fullback, who had over 100 appearances with Udinese, left for Lazio.
The Coach – Andrea Stramaccioni
While player transfers seem to be the norm for Udinese, one massive change for the club this season will be Francesco Guidolin’s absence from the sideline. Guidolin has taken the role of technical supervisor for Udinese, Granada CF, and Watford FC, all three clubs owned by the Pozzo family.
Guidolin will not be an easy figure to replace, but Andrea Stramaccioni better be up for the part.
This will be Stamaccioni’s second senior team in a coach position, previously working with both Roma and Inter’s youth teams in various positions.
With the assistance of Di Natale, Domizzi, recently appointed sporting director Cristiano Giaretta, and the entire city of Udine behind him, Stramaccioni is heading into the season with ample support and assistance at his disposal.
Season Expectations
It’s hard to ever have any expectations for Udinese — a team that always defies expectations, for better or for worse.
Stramaccioni’s ability to navigate the Pozzo family politics will be crucial for success. And while he may not have the experience that Guidolin had, Stramaccioni’s youthful optimism may be a positive force for the club.
Or, it could go horribly wrong.
Udinese fans will hope for the former, with Stramaccioni leading the squad back into the glory they had become accustom to over the last few years.
The new coach is already off to a good start: in his first official match for the club, he led his team to a 5–1 win against Serie B side Ternana Calcio in Udinese’s first Coppa Italia match of the season.
Prediction
The entire season will depend on how well Stramaccioni can gel with both owners and staff. It will also depend on if Udinese manage to get their midfield sorted and stable.
If Udinese can reach the 40-point barrier before the winter break, they have a good chance of making it back into a European spot for next year.
If they haven’t, Stramaccioni and Pozzo will have to consider adding some reinforcements to the team.
Where will they finish? 6th [Europa League]; but Udinese — in all their unpredictability — seldom know the meaning of “middle ground” and could finish as either Scudetto winners or relegated into Serie B.
Follow Sonja Missio on Twitter at: @sonjamissio
