Not too long ago, Udinese were one of those most fascinating teams in Italy. A creative use of their unconventional ownership partnership with Granada in Spain and Watford in England saw them constantly reshape their side, yet still stay competitive with the best in Italy.
2014-2015 Serie A preview: Unpredictable season awaits Udinese
This summer Udinese’s long-serving coach Francesco Guidolin has stepped aside, allowing young Andrea Stramaccioni to take charge. Will a turn in fortunes follow after last season’s disappointment?
Dino Panato
Udinese Calcio:Udine, Udine Last season: 13thCoach: Andrea Stramaccioni
Last year, however, a spate of injuries combined with some unfortunate luck with transfer gambles saw Udinese slide way down the table, their manager get fired, and the reset button get hit on the whole experiment. Now with former Inter Milan manager Andrea Stramaccioni in charge, Udinese are hoping to force their way back in to the competitive picture in Serie A.
What should be interesting to watch play out this season is how they set up tactically. The last couple of years has typically seen Udinese use variants of the 3-5-2, and that’s how Stramaccioni has typically set up his teams as well. However, the squad Udinese has put together for this season is capable of multiple formations and tactical setups, leaving the zebrette in an enviable position of being very flexible in how they line up.
Key Player
While Antonio Di Natale has been the leading man at Udinese for the last decade, the mantle is shifting to one of his strike partners. Luis Muriel has emerged as one of Udinese's stars over the last two seasons, serving as a regular goalscoring threat and dynamic presence in the final third. He had a bit of a down season last year compared to the season before, and with that dip in form fell the fortunes of the zebrette.
Muriel is an incredibly tricky attacker, gifted with a fine control of the ball that makes him lethal on the dribble and an equally dangerous distributor in the final third. His finishing eludes him at times, but once Muriel cuts out some of his wasteful long shooting and becomes more consistent in the box, the Colombian international could become a star. Of course, that might not happen at Udinese, but as long as he keeps developing, Muriel should fetch a high fee for the club for them to keep building with.
Key departures and arrivals
In: Panagiotis Kone, Guillherme, Cyril Théréau, Albert Riera, Iván Piris
Out: Robero Pereyra, Maicosuel, Christian Pasquato, Dušan Basta
Reasons to watch
Udinese could easily become one of the most watchable sides in Italy this season. They’re young, they’re loaded with raw talent, and they want to prove that they belong with the big boys after last season’s falloff. If things start to click, this is a team that could make a whole lot of noise in Serie A this season.
Where they might finish
If Udinese embrace Stramaccioni’s tactics and leadership, and if they get off to a good start and if they can find a consistent source of creativity from midfield, Udinese could fight for a Europa League place. That’s a lot of if, though. Should they fall short in one or more of those areas, it could be a long, uncomfortable season just trying to stay relevant.
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