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After an exciting race with UC Sampdoria, Udinese Calcio have qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their 109-year history.
After an exciting race with UC Sampdoria, Udinese Calcio have qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their 109-year history.
Habemus Champions'
As they celebrated the 1-1 draw against AC Milan which sealed fourth place in Serie A and a place in the third qualifying round of the competition, the team made no secret of their pride in their achievement. They wore t-shirts emblazoned with the latin slogan 'Habemus Champions' - roughly, 'We have a champions league place'.
Important meeting
The players have a right to be proud. Their success has engendered no small amount of sacrifice. After a brilliant start to the season, bigger clubs came calling for many of Udinese's top players in the winter, but at a meeting organised by forward David Di Michele, the squad agreed to turn down all offers until the end of the season in order to reach the Champions League together.
Driving force
"I don't deserve all the credit for this agreement but I'm very pleased that my team-mates accepted my idea," Di Michele said. "It's very good to see the same faces in our dressing room now that the season is over. We have all been fighting together for the same goal and I'm sure we would not have qualified for the Champions League if even one of our key players had left in January."
Superb season
The 29-year-old forward was arguably one of the key figure in Udinese's success. He scored 15 goals in Serie A, including the one in the decisive 1-1 draw against Milan, plus six in the Coppa Italia. His performances were good enough to convince Italy coach Marcello Lippi to call him up for the friendly games against Serbia and Montenegro and Ecuador on 8 and 11 June respectively.
Moves rejected
Di Michele, striker Vincenzo Iaquinta, playmaker David Pizarro and AC Milan's new signing Marek Jankulovski all had the chance to move to bigger clubs in January but they all agreed to stay. "Jankulovski was already in contact with a big club but never stopped giving his best for Udinese for the whole season," Di Michele added.
Farewell Spalletti
However, perhaps more traumatic than Jankulovski's departure, Udinese also said farewell to coach Luciano Spalletti this week. "My players gave everything they had to give season," said the 46-year-old. "It will be sad to watch another coach on the Udinese bench in the first UEFA Champions League game next season, but Udinese can do well even without me. My adventure here is over. I don't feel like I will be able to guarantee a fourth-place finish in Serie A every season so I prefer to leave after the fantastic result we achieved."
New challenge
Udinese president Giampaolo Pozzo now faces an enormous task in keeping the remainder of his top players in harness for next season as well as picking a new coach. However, he is confident that Udinese can still improve. "Jankulovski has already left, but we don't want to sell all our best players," he said. "Everyone in the squad has been marvellous this season but I guarantee we will be even stronger next term."
Sharp moves
Sure enough, Udinese have moved promptly to sign some of the most promising players in the country like 19-year-old Brazilian forward Vitor Barreto from Treviso FC, who scored 12 goals in Serie B this season, and Italy Under 21 international Marco Motta from Atalanta BC. Spalletti and some of the best players may leave this summer, but after surprising Italy, Udinese are ready to shock the whole of Europe next season.