Serie A Previews: Who Else But Juventus For The Scudetto?

Udinese have operated on the same model for a long time. They scout better than everyone else, find value and stash their young players elsewhere until they’re ready to contribute. They sell their stars at the peak value, then bring up one of the hoards of players they co-own or have out on loan to replace them. It’s a solid system that keeps Udinese profitable in an era of dropping attendances.

Unfortunately for Udinese president Giampaolo Pozzo, their system has been a little too good. See, everyone was happy when Udinese was using their system to consistently obtain mid-table and Europa League finishes on a tight budget. Then a bunch of Italian giants went in the toilet at about the same time and Udinese finished in Champions League places in consecutive seasons. They’re still selling players and their fans are kind of pissed.