After a 2-0 win against Sampdoria this past Monday, Udinese seem to have hit their stride again in Serie A.
As of Monday’s game, Antonio Di Natale is tied with Lazio’s Miroslav Klose for third top goal scorer in Serie A (9 goals apiece), trailing Milan’s Stephan El Shaarawy (13 goals) and Napoli’s Edinson Cavani (11 goals). However, while Toto’s influence over the club is undeniable, there is more to the team than just the little Neapolitan.
In fact, Udinese has a few rising stars—and unsung heroes—of the team. Below is a short list of players to consider next time you watch the Zebrette; they were chosen for consideration not just for what they are currently doing but also where they can go from here.
And that answer is not “to a bigger team.”
Three to Watch For
Zeljko Brkic
When Samir Handanovic left Udinese for Inter, the Udinese faithful let out a collective worried sigh. When Zeljko Brkic was announced as his eventual replacement, the Udinese faithful let out a collective worried “well, all right, I guess?”
Udinese always knew it would be hard to fill Handanovic’s shoes (or, goal posts), but Brkic has been doing a fairly decent job, especially after returning from injury. From afar, Brkic could almost be mistaken for Handanovic in goal — despite standing 6’6 compared to Handanovic’s measly 6’4 — having managed to help out the club in several tight stops, including stopping a penalty in the recent fixture against Sampdoria. Earning the nickname “Brick” (as in, wall) from Friulano supporters, the 26 year old Serbian keeper has made 46 saves and 4 clean sheets in a total of 15 games this season.
It’s always easy to keep an eye on the keeper, but Brkic is a special case as he replaced one of the best keepers in Serie A. Udinese has every reason to worry over the lack of Handanovic as their biggest crux this season, however, Brkic continues to improve and learn from each game, all the while miraculously calming Friulani fears.
Andrea Coda
Andrea Coda has been an Udinese staple for quite some time, but is often overlooked for flashier players. Technically with the club since 2006, when Udinese bought 50% of the Italian defender’s contract from Empoli, the defender has had over 100 appearances for the Zebrette.
While at Empoli, Coda was instrumental at promoting the then-Serie B club to Serie A and he continues to bring that leadership to Udinese, signing a further 5-year contract with the club this past summer. Despite suffering injury last season, Coda continues to be a solid line of defense for Udinese, on and off the pitch. A season veteran with the club, he is focused on what needs to be done and does not take anything for granted. “After the third and fourth place in the last two years our fans expect to see Udinese in the left column,” the defender has said, “but we knew it won’t be easy to repeat those seasons.”
Coda understands the need for patience and why every game must be played to its full advantage. While Di Natale remains the leader at Udinese, Coda offers strong guidance further back down the pitch.
Diego Fabbrini
Speaking of Di Natale, when you play on the same team as him, it’s hard to make a name for yourself. However, Diego Fabbrini is starting to do just that. While he may not be a leading goal scorer like Di Natale yet, the 22 year old has been instrumental in not only setting up plays, but providing support for the entire team.
Like Coda, Fabbrini made his start at Empoli before being signed to Udinese in 2011. In his short time at Udinese, the forward has seen tremendous growth. Once considered one of the best Italian Under 21 players, Fabbrini was actively involved in helping Udinese through Europa League. While the team may not have fared as well as it would have liked in the European competition, Fabbrini’s influence has not gone unnoticed. Prior to, he received his first call up to the Italian National Team, appearing as a substitute during a friendly against England in August 2012.
In November 2012, it was announced that he had signed a 5-year contract to Udinese. As Udinese is a team known for cultivating players and sending them off to bigger, and sometimes arguably better, teams, it will be interesting to see how Fabbrini grows within Udinese culture.
Honourable Mention #1: Arrigo Brovedani
Looking like a young Eddie Vedder and not appearing on any team sheet, Arrigo Brovedani should be considered Udinese MVP for the season, or, at least the week. Making headlines across nearly every mainstream soccer site this week, Brovedani was the only away supporter to attend the Sampdoria-Udinese match.
On business in Genoa, the employee of Cantina di Bertiolo (a wine company based in Udine) requested to remain in the away section during the match, even though Sampdoria stewards offered him a more populated place in the stands. Standing with a Friulano flag draped over the banister next to him, Brovedani cheered the Little Zebras to victory.
Post game, Udinese not only dedicated the win to him, but he was also invited back to watch Saturday’s match against Palermo. Meanwhile, the home side presented the lone away supporter with a keepsake shirt, while the Blucerchiati fans offer to buy him a drink.
Honourable Mention #2: Udinese’s New Website
Udinese’s official website, Udinese.it, will re-launch on Wednesday, December 12. An official press conference will be held at the Stadio Friulo, which will include a Q&A session with team owner Giampaolo Pozzo and the unveiling of the new Udinese e-store, by General Manager Franco Colllavino. For Udinese fans abroad, the e-store will be a godsend for otherwise-hard-to-find merchandise, however other details on the new site have not yet been announced.
Journalists attending have been invited to join the Udinese Christmas dinner immediately after the launch.
Follow Sonja Missio on Twitter: @sonjamissio
