Part Four: Advices to the ones who stall my dream

Abdullah Alabdulhadi

June 4, 2025

To those who will soon steward the dream that is Udinese Calcio, here is what I, a lifelong fan, believe is crucial for its future.

  • Value the ‘Udinese Way’ – But Evolve It The Pozzo family created a remarkable legacy of “doing more with less,” built on sharp scouting, intelligent player development, and astute financial management. This “Udinese Way” is precious and should be respected. However, to make this model even more successful and the sale of players more rewarding, a simple but crucial adjustment is needed. For years, the Pozzo family has often stated that Udinese “doesn’t need to sell any player.” While this reflects strong financial capability, it can inadvertently cap transfer fees, often seeing our prized assets leave for figures in the €16-20 million range when their potential, or market comparables, might suggest higher. Imagine a small shift in communication: “We don’t want to sell our key players because we are building something special here.” This, backed by a willingness to strategically increase the salaries of a few core, high-potential players to ward off initial interest, could significantly enhance their market value. Look at how clubs like Atalanta have managed to command massive fees for their developed talents. It’s not just about identifying talent, but also about creating the leverage to maximize returns when a sale eventually happens. This doesn’t mean abandoning prudence, but strategically investing in retaining key assets for longer can lead to greater sporting success and, ultimately, more lucrative transfers.
  • Listen to the Heartbeat – The Fans The fans of Udinese truly deserve to dream again and to feel that this new chapter will raise the bar of ambition. We long to see the Bluenergy Stadium full, vibrant, and echoing with the passion it once did consistently. Concrete actions are needed to reignite that spark. Consider bringing Antonio Di Natale back to the club in a meaningful coaching or ambassadorial role. His presence alone is a symbol of Udinese’s golden era and would galvanize the fanbase. Similarly, explore the possibility of re-engaging a figure like Pierpaolo Marino as Technical Director, granting him the authority to rebuild the sporting project. He was an architect of past successes, and his return would signal a commitment to restoring the “DNA” of Udinese that fans cherish – a team known for exciting football and shrewd market operations.
  • Kick the coach Runjaić out as your first order of business This might sound surprising or harsh to some, especially regarding a recently appointed coach, but I swear I have rarely seen a coach whose approach seems so ill-suited to the Udinese DNA, perhaps matched only by Massimo Oddo in that regard. Based on what I’ve observed ,the current German coach, Kosta Runjaić, shows many red flags:
  • Cowardly behavior: For example, changing a winning formation like a 3-4-2-1 after a single loss against a team like Roma demonstrates a lack of conviction.
  • Misuse of squad/tactics: Despite arguably having one of the best squads in recent years, persisting with a 3-5-2 that doesn’t fit the players’ strengths is baffling. Even if he temporarily switched to a 4-4-2 and found success, reverting to the 3-5-2 without clear justification is a major concern.
  • Player value depreciation: His management and tactical decisions may have led to a decrease in the market value of promising players, for instance, a player like Brenner.
  • Lack of experimentation: Even after reaching a theoretical safety points tally (e.g., 40 points), a failure to use remaining games to try new ideas, formations, or tactics – instead resorting to something like a 3-6-1 – shows a crippling lack of ambition and foresight.
  • Poor squad rotation/youth integration: Persisting with older players who have repeatedly failed to deliver (e.g., Ehizibue, who struggles in both attack and defense, or an aging Kabasele) instead of giving valuable minutes to interesting younger players towards the end of a season is detrimental. This not only hinders the development of prospects but also misses opportunities to assess them for the future.
  • Wasted potential for sales/loans: He has cost us easy money by not utilizing players like Pafundi, Bravo, Zemura, and Modesto more frequently. Even if he didn’t fully believe they were ready for consistent starting roles, increased minutes would have been crucial for their development and for enhancing their visibility for potential sales or beneficial loan deals.
  • Disrespecting talent: Sidelining a player like Alexis Sánchez simply because he “can’t fit into the 3-5-2” would be a gross mismanagement of talent.
  • Missed development opportunities: A small example: if a young prospect like Palma had been given chances in the last two or three games of a season, we might have unearthed a player ready to step up the following season, or at least generated interest for a loan to a newly promoted Serie A team or a good Serie B side.
  • Overall tactical rigidity and team control: In short, he doesn’t seem to fit Udinese’s DNA. His approach has potentially lost the team points without even attempting innovative solutions and may have led to a loss of control within the squad, as evidenced by incidents like reported on-field disputes between players (e.g., Pafundi and Lovric over a free-kick twice).

Embrace Attacking Football, Ditch the 3-5-2 (Please!) This may sound trivial to an outsider, but for many of us who remember the sheer joy and excitement of the attacking football Udinese played under coaches like Spalletti or Pasquale Marino, the recent decade dominated by a rigid, often aesthetically painful, 3-5-2 formation has been a trial. We crave a return to proactive, courageous football. If it were up to me, I would include a clause in every coach’s contract: if they play with a 3-5-2 (or 3-5-1-1) formation and fail to win, say, three consecutive matches, their contract is automatically subject to review or termination. This might seem extreme, but it underscores the deep desire for a change in philosophy. If, for some reason, the 3-5-2 is deemed the only option, then at least pair it with a young, innovative coach, and perhaps take Francesco Guidolin up on any offer to mentor him, to try and recapture the magic he once wove with that system, rather than persisting with pale imitations.

  • Give Me the Chance to Help with Crazy Ideas I am brimming with ideas, some of which might seem “crazy,” but are born from a deep love for this club and a desire to see it innovate and connect with a new generation of fans globally, and a total ability to make this happen with my companies. For instance:
  • Fanverse Udinese – A 24/7 Digital Home for the Global Supporter: I envision a living, breathing digital world – a virtual Bluenergy Stadium accessible 24/7. Fans from every corner of the globe could log in, create an avatar, walk through the virtual tunnel, sit in their favorite stand, and watch live training sessions, exclusive press conferences, youth team matches, or even full first-team matches with interactive features. It could host virtual museums, fan chat rooms, and e-sport tournaments, creating a constantly engaged global community.
  • Udinese Lab – A Football Innovation Hub with Global Reach: Let’s position Udinese as a launchpad for the future of football. The “Udinese Lab” could be a physical and digital space where new ideas are tested, data is explored, and cutting-edge technology meets the pitch. We could host a twice-yearly startup accelerator, bringing the brightest minds in sports tech to Friuli to build tools for performance analytics, next-generation scouting, enhanced stadium experiences, and injury prevention. Imagine partnerships with local universities, global innovation competitions, and a culture of experimentation truly worthy of Udinese’s historical reputation as a “thinking club.” A club that doesn’t just sign the stars of tomorrow — but invents how they’re found and nurtured.

  • Celebrate Giampaolo Pozzo’s History Finally, whatever the future holds, it is vital to honor the immense contribution of Giampaolo Pozzo. He took over the club in 1986 and steered it for decades, overseeing its most successful periods. Make him an Honorary President for life. Ensure his legacy is celebrated, and create opportunities for him to feel the joy of the club’s successes again, to witness a new era of ambition and excitement that builds upon the foundations he laid. He deserves to see the club


    he loves flourish, bringing happiness to him and the fans once more.
    Thank you for taking the time to read my heart. I truly believe that with the right vision and a willingness to embrace both the history and the future, Udinese Calcio can achieve even greater things.

     

     

    Sincerely,
    Abdullah Alabdulhadi
    A devoted Udinese Fan.

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