Udinese Calcio

[Messinterista]

[Messinterista]

[Savant]

Pretty clever system Udinese have set up. I hope they continue to be successful.

[taz]

After almost 200 games for Udinese, Cristian Zapata has left the club for Spanish outfit Villarreal.

The Bianconeri have confirmed the transfer on Tuesday morning with a short note on their official website.

The Colombian, 25, joined Udinese in the summer of 2005 from Deportivo Cali in his homeland.

An imposing central defender, who can play as a right-back, Cordoba was also tracked by Liverfekkin'wankscum this summer.

Financial details regarding the switch have not been released.

Zapata played in 190 games for the Stadio Friuli outfit in all competitions, scoring five goals in the process.

[forzaitalia]

If Sanchez goes, Udinese will be a lot weaker, considering Inler left yesterday as well. There will be a lot of emphasis on Di Natale, who will perform well I'm sure, but he would have linked up well with Inler and Sanchez, and he isn't getting any younger himself.

[RomaShield27]

So, Zapata > gone, Inler > gone, and they'll be doing well to hang on to Sanchez (Barca will eventually up their offer). Its a pity, it would have been good to see them hang on to their best players and build on it.

[taz]

[RomaShield27]

Barca agree Sanchez fee
http://www.football-italia.net/jul20d.html – Wednesday 20 July, 2011

The Alexis Sanchez transfer saga is almost over after Udinese finally accepted an offer from Barcelona.

“The agreement with Barcelona for Sanchez is now complete,” Gino Pozzo, son of Udinese patron Giampaolo, told Spanish radio station RAC 1.

The 22-year-old has been the Nou Camp outfit’s top target all summer and negotiations with the Italian club have dragged on.

Udinese had publicly insisted that they wanted to sell the Chilean for €50m, a fee which scared off Italian suitors Inter and Juventus.

It’s reported that Barcelona will hand over €27m to the Stadio Friuli outfit, but a number of bonus clauses have been inserted into the deal.

Should those be activated then it is being suggested that the attacker could eventually cost the European champions €43m.

It’s understood that Sanchez has already agreed personal terms with the Nou Camp outfit. All that seemingly remains is for contracts to be signed.

[taz]

Udinese could net as much as €37.5m from Barcelona after the Spanish club confirmed that they had signed Alexis Sanchez.

Barca will hand over €26m to the Italian outfit for the attacker, but if certain bonus clauses are activated then they could have to pay a further €11.5m.

Udinese had previously stated this summer that they wanted €50m for the 22-year-old.

Manchester City, Manchester United, Inter and Juventus were all interested in the South American talent.

Sanchez, who caught the eye last term with 12 goals in 31 Serie A games, will become the first Chilean to play for Barca.

If Udinese net the full amount for Sanchez then he will become the second most expensive player in Barca’s history after Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"Sanchez is very young," Barca boss Pep Guardiola said this week.

"He can play in all three attacking positions, he shows intense defensive skills, he's direct and from what I've been told, he's a very nice kid."

Sanchez will have his Barcelona medical on Monday before signing a five-year contract with the European champions.

[forzaitalia]

Wonder what players Udinese will be looking at to replace the ones they've lost? They'll have a lot to spend, but will they look for some more established stars or continue being a 'stepping stone' club (albeit one that finishes high in the table, as opposed to, say, Wigan who consider themselves a stepping stone club).

[red]

Dos Santos to replace Sanchez, apparently.

http://www.football-italia.net/jul22w.html

[taz]

Champions League qualifiers Udinese insist that their summer spending hasn’t come to an end with the capture of Neuton.

The defender, full name Neuton Sergio Piccoli, has joined the club to replace Cristian Zapata after his switch to Villarreal.

“Neuton is a player who we have followed for some time,” Udinese sporting director Fabrizio Larini stated.

“He represents an investment for us today and, given his young age, also for the future,” he underlined.

“He’s naturally left-footed, a player who can be used in the middle of a three-man or a four-man defence. He can also be fielded at left-back if necessary.

“He won’t be our last signing of the summer…”

Neuton, born in March 1990, has arrived from Brazilian outfit Gremio.

The Friuli side do have some rebuilding to complete after they also sold Gokhan Inler to Napoli and Alexis Sanchez to Barcelona.

[ferri]

i think it is a shame Udinese have lost 3 of their main players. It will no doubt harm their chances in the champs league and seria A this season. They were great value last season and I cannot see them coming close to the same level this year.

I hope I am proved wrong.

[taz]

Slovenian international goalkeeper Samir Handanovic has extended his contract with Udinese for another five years.

There had been a great deal of transfer gossip surrounding the shot-stopper this summer.

Udinese announced the news with a note on their official website stating there was “reciprocal satisfaction” around the deal.

Handanovic put pen to paper on an extension that holds him to the Stadio Friuli side until June 30, 2016.

The 27-year-old first joined Udinese in 2004-05 and has been their number one choice since 2007-08 following brief loan spells at Treviso, Lazio and Rimini.

[RomaShield27]

Ah feck me, harsh on Udinese playing Arsenal, could be one less Italian side in the CL:

Bayern face Zürich, Arsenal draw Udinese
– Published: Friday 5 August 2011, 12.20CET

FC Bayern München will play FC Zürich and Arsenal FC face Udinese Calcio after the draw for the UEFA Champions League play-off round was conducted in Nyon. With the final to be played at their Fußball Arena München home on Saturday 19 May 2012, Bayern will have an extra motivation when they take on the Swiss club for a place in the group stage.

Runners-up in 2006, Arsenal take on Udinese, while Odense BK − the only team in the league route without prior group stage experience − tackle Villarreal CF. In the champions route, their fellow Danes FC København take on Czech debutants FC Viktoria Plzeň looking to build on last season's impressive campaign, when they reached the last 16.

The first legs will be played on 16/17 August and the returns a week later. The ten winners will join the 22 automatic entrants in the UEFA Champions League group stage, the draw for which is held in Monaco at 17.45CET on Thursday 25 August. The losers will take part in the UEFA Europa League group stage.

UEFA Champions League play-off round
Champions route
Wisła Kraków (POL) v APOEL FC (CYP)
Macabi Haifa FC (ISR) v KRC Genk (BEL)
NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) v Malmö FF (SWE)
FC København (DEN) v FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)
FC BATE Borisov (BLR) v SK Sturm Graz (AUT)

League route
Odense BK (DEN) v Villarreal CF (ESP)
FC Twente (NED) v SL Benfica (POR)
Arsenal FC (ENG) v Udinese Calcio (ITA)
FC Bayern München (GER) v FC Zürich (SUI)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) v FC Rubin Kazan (RUS)

[taz]

[DavidP]

agreed.

[forzaitalia]

With those three they'd have had a good chance. I don't particularly rate Arsenal but unfortunately I think they'll go through. Udinese are a good team for them to face, in the sense that they try and play football too and probably won't be too physical.

Prove me wrong Di Natale and co!

[taz]

[forzaitalia]

A lot will be resting on Toto's shoulders and, as good as he is, at almost 34 they can't rely on him too much. But yeah, Sanchez would have had a field day against the likes of Koscielny, Squillaci and Djourou.