Udinese sporting director Pierpaolo Marino confirmed that Destiny Udogie is unlikely to leave the club this summer but Nahuel Molina could join Juventus. Both players have had excellent seasons, grabbing the attention of Italian and European clubs alike.
Speaking to Tuttosport, Marino talked about Udinese’s positive season and the future of his star full-backs:
It is difficult for Udogie to leave in the summer: we are convinced that being with us for a year can increase his value, which is now difficult to identify after a single season and with a young age. Molina, on the other hand, is a player who, due to the interests he is arousing in Italy and abroad, will be difficult to hold back. So I hope it is an Italian team that signs and improve him. I think Juventus have the ability to do that.
New coach? Well, we actually risked a lot on choosing (Gabriele) Cioffi and we thought of building a business and project with a coach from ‘home’. But the dynamics of football are these: when essential offers arrive I understand that nobody has the courage to refuse them. Although I’m sorry, because I lived 6 intense months with Cioffi. Every day we started with coffee in the morning and ended up in the evening at 7 with an aperitif. Some games have been exciting: I think of 4-0 in Florence or 4-0 against Cagliari in Sardinia.”
The transfer market? The gap especially with England and Spain is there for all to see. The scenario is determined by a crisis that has felt much more from us than from other parts. But there is also the possibility of getting up with intelligent policies and strategies. With imagination and managerial competence.
The future? I feel very fresh from stimuli, from interests. I want to know and improve myself on everything: it intrigues me to keep up with the times. It is nice to see this Udinese grow projectually where a sense of belonging of the players has been restored. Everyone demonstrated behaviors, as a group, that reminded me of Bierhoff’s Udinese, Amoroso… Years when we regularly went to the UEFA Cup or the Champions League. The leaders who remain will be able to convey the mentality that has been seen in recent months.”
