Udinese Calcio
Encyclopedia
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football
club based in Udine
, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
, and currently plays in the Serie A
. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A
, after Genoa
.
The traditional team home kit is black and white striped shirt, black shorts, and white socks. The club plays in the Stadio Friuli
, which has a capacity of 41,652 (although it is currently limited to 30,900). It has a large number of fans in Friuli
and surrounding areas.
beating Ferrara 2–0; however this title is not recognised as official.
On 5 July 1911, some gymnasts of Udinese, headed by Luigi Dal Dan, founded the A.C. Udinese which joined the FIGC. The new side made its debut in a friendly match against Juventus Palmanova, and won 6–0.
It was only in 1912–13 that Udinese first took part in an official FIGC championship. In that year they enrolled in the Campionato Veneto di Promozione, which consisted of just three teams (the others were Petrarca and Padova). With two victories against Padova (3–1 and 5–0), Udinese finished the tournament in second place behind Petrarca and were promoted to first-level Prima Categoria
. In Prima Categoria, Udinese failed to reach the national stage, always knocked out in the Eliminatoria Veneta.
In 1922, Udinese, taking advantage of the absence of big clubs, entered the F.I.G.C. Italian Football Championship
and reached the Coppa Italia
final losing 1–0 against Vado
, thanks to an overtime goal.
In the league, Udinese finished second in Girone Eliminatorio Veneto, which allowed them to remain in the top flight for the next season, despite a reform of the championships that reduced the number of teams in the competition.
The 1922–23
season was a disastrous one for Udinese, as they came last in and were relegated to the second division. The team risked failure for debts in 1923. On 24 August 1923, AS Udinese separated from AC Udinese Friuli, and the club was forced to set up a budget and an autonomous board. Fortunately, all debts were paid by President Alessandro Del Torso through the sale of some of his paintings and Udinese could thus join the Second Division
in which they came fourth.
The 1924–25 season was memorable. The team was included in Group F II Division. The championship was very even and at the end of the tournament three teams were in contention to win: Udinese, Vicenza
and Olympia River. Playoffs were needed to determine who would reach the final round.
Udinese beat Olympia in a playoff 1–0 and drew 1–1 with Vicenza. In the play-off standings, Udinese and Vicenza were still in the lead with 3 points each. Another play-off was then played to determine the winner. After a first encounter finished 0–0, Udinese lost a replay 2–1 but were awarded the win as Vicenza fielded an ineligible player, a Hungarian called Horwart. Udinese reached the finals in place of Vicenza.
In the final round, Udinese finished first and was promoted, alongside Parma
, to First Division
. In the following season, Udinese finished 10th and was relegated again. However, the format of the championship was again reformed and Udinese had another chance to reclaim their place in the top flight. They competed in play-offs with seven other sides for the right to play in Serie A. The winner would remain in the top flight. The club, however, lost the playoff against Legnano and lost their place in the top flight.
They remained in Second Division until the end of the 1928–29 season when Serie A
and Serie B
were created, with Udinese falling into the third tier (Terza Serie). The first season in Terza Serie was a triumphant one and Udinese were promoted up to Serie B.
in 1935) until 1938–39, when coming second in Girone Finale Nord di Serie C, they were promoted to Serie B.
The Zebrette remained in Serie B for a dozen years, with average performances and were relegated to Serie C at the end of the 1947–48 season due to a reform of the championships. This relegation, however, was followed by two consecutive promotions, and thanks to an excellent second place finish in the Serie B 1949-50
, the Friulani won a historic promotion to Serie A
.
season, when they came second only behind Milan
. It was after that season, however, that Udinese was relegated because of an offence committed on 31 May 1953, the last day of the championship, which was exposed two years later. The Friuliani returned to Serie A after one season in B and in the following season was confirmed among the best Italian teams with an excellent fourth place finish.
and also won the Anglo-Italian Cup
.
and returned after more than two decades to Serie A
. In their first year back after so long, the team survived after a disappointing 15th place finish. In Europe, they fared much better, winning the Mitropa Cup
, a European Cup for teams that had won the previous season of Serie B.
In subsequent seasons the team managed to survive relegation without any particular difficulty also managing an impressive sixth place in 1982–83
. At that time Udinese had on its books one of the club's all time greatest players, the Brazilian Zico
.
At the end of the 1985–86
season, the team was embroiled in a betting scandal and was penalized nine points for the 1986–87
season. Despite a desperate comeback towards the end of the season, Udinese were relegated to Serie B
. Had they not been deducted points, Udinese would have survived.
During the following years, Udinese got promoted to Serie A and relegated back to B on several occasions. This situation lasted until the 1995–96
season, from which point on, they established themselves in Serie A.
The 1996–97 season saw Udinese qualify for the UEFA Cup
, with Alberto Zaccheroni as manager. The following season, they managed a resounding third place finish behind Juventus
and Internazionale
, largely thanks to Oliver Bierhoff
's 27 goals.
In March 2001, Luciano Spalletti
was appointed manager, replacing Luigi De Canio
. Spalletti managed to lead the team to survival on the penultimate matchday. Following brief periods with Roy Hodgson
and Giampiero Ventura
on the bench, Spalletti was again appointed manager of Udinese at the beginning of the 2002–03
season, finding an organized and ambitious club which again reached the UEFA Cup
, playing attacking and entertaining football.
The surprising fourth place finish at the end of the 2004–05
season saw Udinese achieve their first qualification for the UEFA Champions League
in the history of the club. At the end of that same season, Spalletti announced his intention to leave Udinese.
The following season, Udinese played in the Champions League preliminary round, beating Sporting Lisbon 4–2 on aggregate. Udinese were drawn in a tough group alongside Panathinaikos
, Werder Bremen
and FC Barcelona
.
Despite a brilliant 3–0 win over Panathinaikos
in their first match, courtesy of a brilliant Vincenzo Iaquinta
hat trick
, the team failed to qualify for the knockout rounds, coming in third in their group, equal on points with second placed Werder and behind eventual champions Barcelona.
and also made various quality purchases including Fabio Quagliarella
and Gökhan Inler
.
The 2007–08
season started well with a draw at home against champions Internazionale
, but the enthusiasm was quickly erased after the first home match which finished in a 5–0 loss to newly promoted Napoli
. After this match, Udinese's fortunes changed, starting with a victory over Juventus thanks to a late Antonio Di Natale
goal. Approaching the end of the season, Udinese found themselves in fourth position surprising everyone. They could not maintain this pace however, and fell to 7th. The team continued to fight until the penultimate round for a Champions League place with AC Milan
, Fiorentina
and Sampdoria
, however, and had to settle for a place in the UEFA Cup.
At the start of the 2008–09
season, during the press conference to present the new season's shirt, the new official website was also presented, and an absolute novelty in the Italian championship, the first Web TV channel dedicated to a football club called Udinese Channel was launched, totally free and visible worldwide.
In 2008–2009, Udinese had a mixed bag of results in Serie A with 3–1 win at Roma
and a 2–1 win over Juventus as the pleasing ones. But 1–0 losses against Reggina
and Cheivo
and Torino
dented hopes of Champions League. Meanwhile in Europe, Udinese were in a group with potential favourites Tottenham Hotspur
, N.E.C., Spartak Moscow
, and Dinamo Zagreb, they eased through the group with a convincing 2–0 win against Tottenham. They beat Lech Poznań
in the next round 4–3 on aggregate, and then they met holders Zenit St. Petersburg and won convincingly 2–1 on aggregate. Next up, Udinese were favourites against Werder Bremen but, with several injuries to star players Antonio Di Natale, Samir Handanović
, and Felipe
, they lost 6–4 on aggregate. Fabio Quagliarella managed eight goals in the campaign. They finished the 2008–09
season in 7th spot, missing out on any European football the following year.
The 2009–10 was an extremely disappointing ones for the players and fans alike. Even though Antonio Di Natale managed to score 29 goals in the league and finished top goalscorer, they were surprisingly involved in a relegation battle. In the end they finished in 15th, 9 points and 3 places clear of the drop zone. The only highlight of the campaign was reaching the semi-final of the Coppa Italia
beating Lumezzane in the Round of 16, A.C. Milan in the Quarter Finals and eventually losing 2–1 to Roma over the two legs.
In the summer transfer window of 2010, Udinese sold a few key players: Gaetano D'Agostino
, Simone Pepe
, Marco Motta
and Aleksandar Lukovic
. They also brought in players that proved to be the key to their success in the 2010–11 Serie A. They were Mehdi Benatia
and Pablo Armero, a stopper and fullback respectively. After a horrible start to the season, losing their first four games and drawing the fifth, Udinese entered some of their best form in their recent history and were able to continue that to the end of the season and finished in 4th spot earning themselves again a spot in the UEFA Champions League
qualifying round. Along the way the players and coach were praised for playing the most exciting football in Italy. Alexis Sanchez
proved to be the revelation of the season while Di Natale
was amazing up front all season, scoring 28 goals in the league and once again winning the top goalscorer award. After a 0–0 draw with Milan
which secured the Champions League spot for Udinese, scenes of euphoria erupted around the Stadio Friuli. The Champions League anthem was played on the loudspeaker and the players paraded a banner depicting the Champions League logo on it around the stadium. Coach Francesco Guidolin
also kept his promise of "dancing like Boateng" if they qualify for the Champions League and did a little jig in the middle of the pitch. In the Coppa Italia
Udinese lost to Sampdoria
in the round of 16 on penalties after it finished 2–2 after extra time.
}
Granada
edition
Italy Guglielmo Bacci
Valerio Bertotto
Lorenzo Bettini
Marco Branca
Alessandro Calori
Franco Causio
Gaetano D'Agostino
Luigi De Agostini
Morgan De Sanctis
Francesco Dell'Anno
Antonio Di Natale
Stefano Fiore
Dino Galparoli Giuliano Giannichedda
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Roberto Muzzi
Simone Pepe
Alessandro Pierini
Paolo Poggi
Paolo Pulici
Fabio Quagliarella
Fabio Rossitto
Luigi Turci
Dino Zoff
Argentina Abel Balbo Daniel Bertoni
Mauricio Pineda Néstor Sensini Roberto Sosa
Belgium Johan Walem
Brazil Márcio Amoroso
Edinho
Felipe Zico
Chile David Pizarro
Alexis Sánchez
Mauricio Isla
Colombia Cristián Zapata
Costa Rica Winston Parks
Czech Republic Marek Jankulovski
Denmark Thomas Helveg
Martin Jørgensen
Per Krøldrup
Egypt Hazem Emam
Germany Oliver Bierhoff
Carsten Jancker
Ghana Stephen Appiah
Asamoah Gyan
Sulley Muntari
Honduras Carlos Pavón
Peru Gerónimo Barbadillo
Poland Marek Koźmiński
Russia Igor Shalimov
Slovenia Samir Handanovič
Serbia Aleksandar Luković
South Africa Siyabonga Nomvethe
Spain Ricardo Gallego
Sweden Arne Selmosson
Switzerland Gökhan İnler
Yugoslavia Ivica Šurjak
(Spain 1982
) Vincenzo Iaquinta
(Germany 2006
)
Football in Italy
Football is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup 4 times , trailing only Brazil . Italy's club sides have won 27 major European trophies, making them the most successful European nation in the subject of football...
club based in Udine
Udine
Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical...
, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is...
, and currently plays in the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, after Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
.
The traditional team home kit is black and white striped shirt, black shorts, and white socks. The club plays in the Stadio Friuli
Stadio Friuli
Stadio Friuli is a multi-purpose stadium in Udine, Italy. The stadium was built in 1976 and holds 41,652 people. It is currently used mostly for football matches and the home of Udinese Calcio.-Structure:...
, which has a capacity of 41,652 (although it is currently limited to 30,900). It has a large number of fans in Friuli
Friuli
Friuli is an area of northeastern Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, i.e. the province of Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, excluding Trieste...
and surrounding areas.
Foundation and early years
Udinese Calcio was established in 1896 as part of the Società Udinese di Ginnastica e Scherma, (Udinese Society of Gymnastics and Fencing). In its inaugural year, the club won the Torneo FNGI in TrevisoTreviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
beating Ferrara 2–0; however this title is not recognised as official.
On 5 July 1911, some gymnasts of Udinese, headed by Luigi Dal Dan, founded the A.C. Udinese which joined the FIGC. The new side made its debut in a friendly match against Juventus Palmanova, and won 6–0.
It was only in 1912–13 that Udinese first took part in an official FIGC championship. In that year they enrolled in the Campionato Veneto di Promozione, which consisted of just three teams (the others were Petrarca and Padova). With two victories against Padova (3–1 and 5–0), Udinese finished the tournament in second place behind Petrarca and were promoted to first-level Prima Categoria
Prima Categoria
Prima Categoria is the name of a level of football in Italy. It is considered to be the eighth level in the Italian football league system and is organized by the National Amateur League by the Regional Committees. Each individual league winner within the Prima Categoria level progresses to their...
. In Prima Categoria, Udinese failed to reach the national stage, always knocked out in the Eliminatoria Veneta.
The 20s: Coppa Italia final
The 1920–21 season, which ended with the Friulani eliminated in the Eliminatoria Veneta, was memorable because it was the debut of Gino Bellotto, who is still the player who has played the most seasons with Udinese, spending 17 seasons with the Zebrette.In 1922, Udinese, taking advantage of the absence of big clubs, entered the F.I.G.C. Italian Football Championship
Italian Football Championship 1921-22 (F.I.G.C.)
During the Summer of 1921, a dispute between the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio and the main teams arose.The teams asked for a reduction of the number of participants in the 1a Divisione....
and reached the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
final losing 1–0 against Vado
F.C. Vado
F.C. Vado is an Italian association football club located in Vado Ligure, Liguria. It currently plays in Eccellenza Liguria.-History:It was founded in 1913....
, thanks to an overtime goal.
In the league, Udinese finished second in Girone Eliminatorio Veneto, which allowed them to remain in the top flight for the next season, despite a reform of the championships that reduced the number of teams in the competition.
The 1922–23
Italian Football Championship 1922-23
The winner was Genoa C.F.C.-Pre-league qualifications:Due to the high numbers of partecipants, the FIGC had to organize a qualification tournament, in order to reduce them to three rounds of 12 sides each.Moreover, after U.S...
season was a disastrous one for Udinese, as they came last in and were relegated to the second division. The team risked failure for debts in 1923. On 24 August 1923, AS Udinese separated from AC Udinese Friuli, and the club was forced to set up a budget and an autonomous board. Fortunately, all debts were paid by President Alessandro Del Torso through the sale of some of his paintings and Udinese could thus join the Second Division
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
in which they came fourth.
The 1924–25 season was memorable. The team was included in Group F II Division. The championship was very even and at the end of the tournament three teams were in contention to win: Udinese, Vicenza
Vicenza Calcio
Vicenza Calcio is an Italian football club based in Vicenza, Veneto. The club was formed in 1902 and currently plays in Italy's Serie B, having spent the entire 1960s and a large part of the 1990s in Serie A...
and Olympia River. Playoffs were needed to determine who would reach the final round.
Udinese beat Olympia in a playoff 1–0 and drew 1–1 with Vicenza. In the play-off standings, Udinese and Vicenza were still in the lead with 3 points each. Another play-off was then played to determine the winner. After a first encounter finished 0–0, Udinese lost a replay 2–1 but were awarded the win as Vicenza fielded an ineligible player, a Hungarian called Horwart. Udinese reached the finals in place of Vicenza.
In the final round, Udinese finished first and was promoted, alongside Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
, to First Division
Prima Divisione
Prima Divisione was the name of the first level of the Italian Football Championship from 1921 to 1926. The competition was initially founded in opposition to the FIGC by the richest clubs of Northern Italy, which disagreed the old format of the championship, based on plethoric regional groups...
. In the following season, Udinese finished 10th and was relegated again. However, the format of the championship was again reformed and Udinese had another chance to reclaim their place in the top flight. They competed in play-offs with seven other sides for the right to play in Serie A. The winner would remain in the top flight. The club, however, lost the playoff against Legnano and lost their place in the top flight.
They remained in Second Division until the end of the 1928–29 season when Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
and Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
were created, with Udinese falling into the third tier (Terza Serie). The first season in Terza Serie was a triumphant one and Udinese were promoted up to Serie B.
The 30s and 40s
The stay in Serie B lasted only two years, and after the 1931–32 season, the team returned to the third division. Udinese remained in the third tier (later renamed Serie CSerie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
in 1935) until 1938–39, when coming second in Girone Finale Nord di Serie C, they were promoted to Serie B.
The Zebrette remained in Serie B for a dozen years, with average performances and were relegated to Serie C at the end of the 1947–48 season due to a reform of the championships. This relegation, however, was followed by two consecutive promotions, and thanks to an excellent second place finish in the Serie B 1949-50
Serie B 1949-50
-Final classification:-Results:...
, the Friulani won a historic promotion to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
.
The 50s: Second place in A, and relegation back to B
Udinese remained in Serie A for five seasons and almost claimed an historic Scudetto in the 1954–55Serie A 1954-55
-Final classification:-Results:...
season, when they came second only behind Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
. It was after that season, however, that Udinese was relegated because of an offence committed on 31 May 1953, the last day of the championship, which was exposed two years later. The Friuliani returned to Serie A after one season in B and in the following season was confirmed among the best Italian teams with an excellent fourth place finish.
The 60s and 70s: Decline
A decline followed those good seasons, however, with Udinese first relegated back down to Serie B in 1961–62 and then to Serie C in 1963–64. Udinese remained in C for about fifteen years missing promotion back to B on numerous occasions. It was only after the 1977–78 season that the Friuliani, led by manager Massimo Giacomini, returned to B winning Girone A. In the same season, they won the Coppa Italia Semiprofessionisti, beating RegginaReggina Calcio
Reggina Calcio are an Italian association football club, the main club of the city of Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in the Italian Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo...
and also won the Anglo-Italian Cup
Anglo-Italian Cup
The Anglo-Italian Cup is a defunct European football competition that was played intermittently between 1970 and 1996 between clubs from England and Italy. Founded by Gigi Peronace in 1970, following the success of the Anglo-Italian League Cup, it was played as a professional tournament until 1973...
.
The 80s: Mitropa Cup and the scandal of 1986
During the next season, Udinese with Giacomini as their manager, won Serie BSerie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
and returned after more than two decades to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. In their first year back after so long, the team survived after a disappointing 15th place finish. In Europe, they fared much better, winning the Mitropa Cup
Mitropa Cup
The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale was one of the first really international major European football cups for club sides...
, a European Cup for teams that had won the previous season of Serie B.
In subsequent seasons the team managed to survive relegation without any particular difficulty also managing an impressive sixth place in 1982–83
Serie A 1982-83
The 1982/1983 Serie A season was won by A.S. Roma.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
. At that time Udinese had on its books one of the club's all time greatest players, the Brazilian Zico
Zico
Arthur Antunes Coimbra , better known as Zico , is a Brazilian coach and former footballer. He is the current head coach of the Iraq national football team. Often called the "White Pelé", he is commonly considered one of the most skilled finishers and one of the best passers ever and possibly the...
.
At the end of the 1985–86
Serie A 1985-86
-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
season, the team was embroiled in a betting scandal and was penalized nine points for the 1986–87
Serie A 1986-87
The 1986/1987 Serie A season ended with S.S.C. Napoli doing the "domestic double", winning their first Scudetto and third Coppa Italia, spurred on by their talismanic captain Diego Maradona....
season. Despite a desperate comeback towards the end of the season, Udinese were relegated to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
. Had they not been deducted points, Udinese would have survived.
The 90s and early 2000's: Europe
Serie A 1995-96
The 1995–96 Serie A title was won by A.C. Milan , with Juventus finishing as runners-up.-Final classification:-Results:-Top scorers:24 goals* Igor Protti...
season, from which point on, they established themselves in Serie A.
The 1996–97 season saw Udinese qualify for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, with Alberto Zaccheroni as manager. The following season, they managed a resounding third place finish behind Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
and Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, largely thanks to Oliver Bierhoff
Oliver Bierhoff
Oliver Bierhoff is a retired German former football striker, who scored the first golden goal in the history of major international football, for Germany in the Euro 96 final...
's 27 goals.
In March 2001, Luciano Spalletti
Luciano Spalletti
Luciano Spalletti is a retired Italian footballer and current coach of FC Zenit Saint Petersburg.-Playing career:Born in Certaldo, Province of Florence, Spalletti played for Serie C teams such as Entella, Spezia, Viareggio and Empoli....
was appointed manager, replacing Luigi De Canio
Luigi De Canio
Luigi "Gigi" De Canio is an Italian football manager and former player.-Player:De Canio, a full back, played mostly with Serie C1 and Serie C2 teams, his lone season in Serie B being 1979–80 with Matera, marking his debut in the division on September 16, 1979 against Genoa...
. Spalletti managed to lead the team to survival on the penultimate matchday. Following brief periods with Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...
and Giampiero Ventura
Giampiero Ventura
Giampiero Ventura is an Italian football manager and the current manager of Torino.-Career:After a short playing career started with Sampdoria, Ventura was forced to retire from active football at the age of 25 because of a serious back injury...
on the bench, Spalletti was again appointed manager of Udinese at the beginning of the 2002–03
Serie A 2002-03
In the 2002-03 season, the Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 15th consecutive time from season 1988-89....
season, finding an organized and ambitious club which again reached the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, playing attacking and entertaining football.
The surprising fourth place finish at the end of the 2004–05
Serie A 2004-05
In the 2004–05 season, the Serie A, the highest professional football league in Italy, was composed of 20 teams for the first time in several years....
season saw Udinese achieve their first qualification for the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in the history of the club. At the end of that same season, Spalletti announced his intention to leave Udinese.
The following season, Udinese played in the Champions League preliminary round, beating Sporting Lisbon 4–2 on aggregate. Udinese were drawn in a tough group alongside Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
, Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
and FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
.
Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos is a multi-sport club based in Athens, Greece. It has the shamrock as its official emblem and green and white as its colours...
in their first match, courtesy of a brilliant Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus. He is a strong striker who can also play on the wing.-Reggiolo:...
hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
, the team failed to qualify for the knockout rounds, coming in third in their group, equal on points with second placed Werder and behind eventual champions Barcelona.
Recent History
After a year in the Champions League, Udinese finished 10th and returned once more to mid-table mediocrity. The turning point occurred during the summer of 2007, when the club announced the appointment of Sicilian manager Pasquale MarinoPasquale Marino
Pasquale Marino is an Italian football coach.-Playing career:In his playing career, started for his home team, Marsala, Marino never played in divisions higher than Serie C1, and ended his career for Catania in 1996/1997....
and also made various quality purchases including Fabio Quagliarella
Fabio Quagliarella
Fabio Quagliarella is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Juventus and internationally for the Italian national team. He is known for scoring incredible goals from unconventional angles that often catch the goalkeeper by surprise.-Early career:Quagliarella began his...
and Gökhan Inler
Gökhan Inler
Gökhan İnler is a Turkish-Swiss football player who plays as a central midfielder for Serie A side Napoli.-Early career:İnler started his career at FC Basel, but was later loaned out to FC Schaffhausen...
.
The 2007–08
Serie A 2007-08
The 2007-08 Serie A football season was the seventy-sixth since its establishment, and started on August 26, 2007 and ended on May 18, 2008. Internazionale successfully defended the championship on the final day of the season, finishing first with 85 points, three ahead of Roma.-Plusvalenze...
season started well with a draw at home against champions Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, but the enthusiasm was quickly erased after the first home match which finished in a 5–0 loss to newly promoted Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
. After this match, Udinese's fortunes changed, starting with a victory over Juventus thanks to a late Antonio Di Natale
Antonio di Natale
Antonio Di Natale is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Udinese.A versatile striker with a lethal eye for goal, Di Natale can play anywhere in the front line, as a lone striker or out wide in an attacking trident. He is notable for his dribbling skills, pace and for his ability to...
goal. Approaching the end of the season, Udinese found themselves in fourth position surprising everyone. They could not maintain this pace however, and fell to 7th. The team continued to fight until the penultimate round for a Champions League place with AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
and Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
, however, and had to settle for a place in the UEFA Cup.
At the start of the 2008–09
Serie A 2008-09
The 2008–09 Serie A was the seventy-seventh season since its establishment. It began on 30 August 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009, with the announcement of the list of fixtures made on 25 July 2008...
season, during the press conference to present the new season's shirt, the new official website was also presented, and an absolute novelty in the Italian championship, the first Web TV channel dedicated to a football club called Udinese Channel was launched, totally free and visible worldwide.
In 2008–2009, Udinese had a mixed bag of results in Serie A with 3–1 win at Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
and a 2–1 win over Juventus as the pleasing ones. But 1–0 losses against Reggina
Reggina Calcio
Reggina Calcio are an Italian association football club, the main club of the city of Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in the Italian Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo...
and Cheivo
A.C. ChievoVerona
Associazione Calcio Chievo Verona is a professional Italian football club named after and based in Chievo, a suburb of 2,800 inhabitants in Verona, Veneto, and owned by Paluani, a cake company and the inspiration for their original name, Paluani Chievo...
and Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
dented hopes of Champions League. Meanwhile in Europe, Udinese were in a group with potential favourites Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, N.E.C., Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
, and Dinamo Zagreb, they eased through the group with a convincing 2–0 win against Tottenham. They beat Lech Poznań
Lech Poznan
Lech Poznań is a Polish football club based in Poznań, Poland. The club is named after Lech, the legendary founder of Polish nation.The club was established in 1922 as Lutnia Dębiec, later changing its name several times. From 1933 until 1994, the club was closely linked to Polish State Railways...
in the next round 4–3 on aggregate, and then they met holders Zenit St. Petersburg and won convincingly 2–1 on aggregate. Next up, Udinese were favourites against Werder Bremen but, with several injuries to star players Antonio Di Natale, Samir Handanović
Samir Handanovic
Samir Handanovič, is a Slovenian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Italian club Udinese and the Slovenian national team. He is well known for his ability to save pentalies...
, and Felipe
Felipe Dias da Silva dal Belo
Felipe Dias da Silva dal Belo commonly known as just Felipe is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Fiorentina. He has spent his whole professional career at Italian Serie A.-Udinese:...
, they lost 6–4 on aggregate. Fabio Quagliarella managed eight goals in the campaign. They finished the 2008–09
Serie A 2008-09
The 2008–09 Serie A was the seventy-seventh season since its establishment. It began on 30 August 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009, with the announcement of the list of fixtures made on 25 July 2008...
season in 7th spot, missing out on any European football the following year.
The 2009–10 was an extremely disappointing ones for the players and fans alike. Even though Antonio Di Natale managed to score 29 goals in the league and finished top goalscorer, they were surprisingly involved in a relegation battle. In the end they finished in 15th, 9 points and 3 places clear of the drop zone. The only highlight of the campaign was reaching the semi-final of the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
beating Lumezzane in the Round of 16, A.C. Milan in the Quarter Finals and eventually losing 2–1 to Roma over the two legs.
In the summer transfer window of 2010, Udinese sold a few key players: Gaetano D'Agostino
Gaetano D'Agostino
Gaetano D'Agostino is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Siena. Usually a playmaker, D'Agostino is best known for his incisive passing.-Club career:...
, Simone Pepe
Simone Pepe
Simone Pepe is an Italian footballer who plays as a right winger for Serie A club Juventus. He is known for his high versatility and can play on either side of the pitch and even as a right fullback-Club career:...
, Marco Motta
Marco Motta
Marco Motta is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Juventus.Motta is a former youth international and participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Atalanta:...
and Aleksandar Lukovic
Aleksandar Lukovic
Aleksandar Luković is a Serbian footballer who plays as a left back or centre back for Zenit St. Petersburg and the Serbian national team. He is known for his aggressive style of play.-Biography:...
. They also brought in players that proved to be the key to their success in the 2010–11 Serie A. They were Mehdi Benatia
Mehdi Benatia
Mehdi Benatia is a Moroccan football defender, who plays for Italian Serie A side Udinese.-Early life:He was born to a Moroccan father and an Algerian mother and opted to play for Morocco national football team....
and Pablo Armero, a stopper and fullback respectively. After a horrible start to the season, losing their first four games and drawing the fifth, Udinese entered some of their best form in their recent history and were able to continue that to the end of the season and finished in 4th spot earning themselves again a spot in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualifying round. Along the way the players and coach were praised for playing the most exciting football in Italy. Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sánchez
Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez , is a Chilean footballer who plays as a forward for FC Barcelona and for the Chilean national team. He is well known for his excellent dribbling ability, great speed and his unusual strength for a fast winger....
proved to be the revelation of the season while Di Natale
Antonio di Natale
Antonio Di Natale is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Udinese.A versatile striker with a lethal eye for goal, Di Natale can play anywhere in the front line, as a lone striker or out wide in an attacking trident. He is notable for his dribbling skills, pace and for his ability to...
was amazing up front all season, scoring 28 goals in the league and once again winning the top goalscorer award. After a 0–0 draw with Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
which secured the Champions League spot for Udinese, scenes of euphoria erupted around the Stadio Friuli. The Champions League anthem was played on the loudspeaker and the players paraded a banner depicting the Champions League logo on it around the stadium. Coach Francesco Guidolin
Francesco Guidolin
Francesco Guidolin is an Italian football manager and former player, currently serving as head coach of Serie A outfit Udinese.-Playing career:...
also kept his promise of "dancing like Boateng" if they qualify for the Champions League and did a little jig in the middle of the pitch. In the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
Udinese lost to Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
in the round of 16 on penalties after it finished 2–2 after extra time.
Honours
- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
: 1
- Mitropa CupMitropa CupThe Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale was one of the first really international major European football cups for club sides...
: 1- 1980
- Anglo-Italian CupAnglo-Italian CupThe Anglo-Italian Cup is a defunct European football competition that was played intermittently between 1970 and 1996 between clubs from England and Italy. Founded by Gigi Peronace in 1970, following the success of the Anglo-Italian League Cup, it was played as a professional tournament until 1973...
: 1- 1978
- Coppa Italia PrimaveraCoppa Italia PrimaveraThe Coppa Italia Primavera is an Italian football competition played for by youth teams from Campionato Primavera. All players are under 20 of age. The first edition was held in the 1972-73 season....
: 1- 1993
- Campionato Nazionale Primavera: 1
- 1981
- Coppa Italia Serie CCoppa Italia Serie CCoppa Italia Lega Pro , formerly named Coppa Italia Serie C, is a straight knock-out based competition involving teams from Lega Pro in Italian football. All games, including the final, are on a home/away basis....
: 1- 1978
Current squad
As of 27 november 2011}
Out on loan
GranadaGranada CFGranada Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 14 April 1931, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home matches at Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes....
Loan return
For all transfers and loans pertaining to Udinese for the current season, please see: 2009–10 transfers.Notable players
Including only players with at least 100 appearances in the club, a topscorer title during their stay with the club, or an appearance in a FIFA World CupFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
edition
Italy Guglielmo Bacci
Guglielmo Bacci
Guglielmo Bacci is an Italian football coach and a former player.-Player:He has played for 4 seasons in the Serie A for A.S. Roma and Udinese Calcio.-Coach:...
Valerio Bertotto
Valerio Bertotto
Valerio Bertotto is an Italian former footballer.-Club career:Bertotto started his professional career in season 1990–1991 for Alessandria of Italian Serie C2...
Lorenzo Bettini
Lorenzo Bettini
Lorenzo Bettini was an Italian professional football player.-External links:*...
Marco Branca
Marco Branca
Marco Branca is an Italian former football striker who is currently head of the technical staff of Serie A club Internazionale.-Career:...
Alessandro Calori
Alessandro Calori
Alessandro Calori is an Italian association football coach and former player.-Playing:A product of Arezzo's youth system, Calori made his professional debut in 1985 with Serie C team Montevarchi, where he spent four season...
Franco Causio
Franco Causio
Franco Causio is an Italian, World Cup winning former footballer who played for Juventus for many years in the 1970s and 1980s.-Biography:Causio was born in Lecce , and moved to Juventus when he was 17....
Gaetano D'Agostino
Gaetano D'Agostino
Gaetano D'Agostino is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Siena. Usually a playmaker, D'Agostino is best known for his incisive passing.-Club career:...
Luigi De Agostini
Luigi De Agostini
Luigi de Agostini is an Italian former football defender, who represented the Italian national football team at Euro 1988 and the 1990 FIFA World Cup....
Morgan De Sanctis
Morgan De Sanctis
Morgan De Sanctis is an Italian football goalkeeper who currently plays for Serie A club Napoli and the Italian national team.-Club career:...
Francesco Dell'Anno
Francesco Dell'Anno
Francesco Dell'Anno is an Italian former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.A gifted playmaker, Dell'Anno began his career at Lazio and made his debut in the 1984/85 season, and his emergence was one of the few highlights of a dismal season for the Biancocelesti...
Antonio Di Natale
Antonio di Natale
Antonio Di Natale is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Udinese.A versatile striker with a lethal eye for goal, Di Natale can play anywhere in the front line, as a lone striker or out wide in an attacking trident. He is notable for his dribbling skills, pace and for his ability to...
Stefano Fiore
Stefano Fiore
Stefano Fiore is an Italian football manager and former player, who can play as an attacking midfielder or on the wing. He is currently in charge as manager technical area of Cosenza in Serie D.-Parma and early years:...
Dino Galparoli Giuliano Giannichedda
Giuliano Giannichedda
Giuliano Giannichedda is a former Italian footballer. He is a midfielder, but can also play as a defender. He is well known for his tackling and stamina.-Career:...
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus. He is a strong striker who can also play on the wing.-Reggiolo:...
Roberto Muzzi
Roberto Muzzi
Roberto Muzzi is an Italian retired football striker. During his career, he has played for several Italian clubs including A.S. Roma, Pisa Calcio, Cagliari Calcio, Udinese Calcio, and S.S...
Simone Pepe
Simone Pepe
Simone Pepe is an Italian footballer who plays as a right winger for Serie A club Juventus. He is known for his high versatility and can play on either side of the pitch and even as a right fullback-Club career:...
Alessandro Pierini
Alessandro Pierini
Alessandro Pierini is a retired Italian footballer who played as a defender.After playing for several clubs in his country, namely Udinese Calcio, he finished his professional career in Spain, where he played for Racing de Santander and Córdoba CF.-Club career:Pierini began his professional career...
Paolo Poggi
Paolo Poggi
Paolo Poggi is a retired Italian professional football player.In the 2001/02 season, he set the record for the fastest goal scored in the Serie A, scoring 8 seconds after the starting whistle....
Paolo Pulici
Paolo Pulici
Paolo Pulici is a former Italian international footballer who played in the 1970s.During his career he played for A.C. Legnano , Torino F.C. , Udinese Calcio and A.C. Fiorentina . He also played 19 matches and scored 5 goals for the Italy national football team, and participated in two World Cups...
Fabio Quagliarella
Fabio Quagliarella
Fabio Quagliarella is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Juventus and internationally for the Italian national team. He is known for scoring incredible goals from unconventional angles that often catch the goalkeeper by surprise.-Early career:Quagliarella began his...
Fabio Rossitto
Fabio Rossitto
Fabio Rossitto is a retired Italian football player in midfielder role, turned manager.-Club career:...
Luigi Turci
Luigi Turci
Luigi Turci is a former Italian football goalkeeper. He retired after the 2006–2007 season. His last club was Cesena in Serie B. He is currently active as goalkeeping coach of Padova.-Football career:...
Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff is an Italian former football goalkeeper and is the oldest winner ever of the World Cup, which he earned as captain of the Italian team in the 1982 tournament in Spain, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days.Zoff was a goalkeeper of outstanding ability and has a place in the...
Argentina Abel Balbo Daniel Bertoni
Daniel Bertoni
Ricardo Daniel Bertoni is a former Argentine footballer who played in a Right Winger role.He played 31 times for the Argentina national football team between 1974 and 1982. in both the 1978 and the 1982 FIFA World Cups...
Mauricio Pineda Néstor Sensini Roberto Sosa
Roberto Sosa (footballer)
Roberto Carlos Sosa is an Argentine football striker, currently he is playing in FC Rapperswil-Jona after being released by the Sanremese.-Career:...
Belgium Johan Walem
Johan Walem
Johan Walem is a former football midfielder and is now a TV consultant for Belgacom TV. He was one of the best Belgian midfielders of his generation, but he gained surprisingly few caps for the national team, scoring two goals.His former clubs are Molenbeek , Anderlecht, Udinese, Parma ,...
Brazil Márcio Amoroso
Márcio Amoroso
Márcio Amoroso dos Santos is a retired Brazilian footballer. He has played his football for several teams in Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain and Greece while representing Brazil at international level.-Club career:...
Edinho
Edino Nazareth Filho
Edinho, real name Edino Nazareth Filho, was a football player from Brazil. He played central defender with Fluminense Football Club, Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense and with the Brazilian national team...
Felipe Zico
Zico
Arthur Antunes Coimbra , better known as Zico , is a Brazilian coach and former footballer. He is the current head coach of the Iraq national football team. Often called the "White Pelé", he is commonly considered one of the most skilled finishers and one of the best passers ever and possibly the...
Chile David Pizarro
David Pizarro
David Marcelo Pizarro Cortés is a Chilean football Midfielder. Pizarro. He also plays for the Chile national team, for which he won the Bronze medal at 2000 Summer Olympics, at Sydney...
Alexis Sánchez
Alexis Sánchez (footballer)
Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez , is a Chilean footballer who plays as a forward for FC Barcelona and for the Chilean national team. He is well known for his excellent dribbling ability, great speed and his unusual strength for a fast winger....
Mauricio Isla
Mauricio Isla
Mauricio Aníbal Isla Isla is a Chilean footballer who plays for Italian Serie A team Udinese and for the Chilean national team. He can play in numerous positions, including right, centre, and left back as well as a winger or centre midfielder...
Colombia Cristián Zapata
Costa Rica Winston Parks
Winston Parks
Winston Antonio Parks Tifet is a Costa Rican football striker who currently plays for FK Baku. He played in Europe before at Udinese, Ascoli, Slovan Liberec, Lokomotiv Moscow, FC Saturn Ramenskoe and Politehnica Timişoara....
Czech Republic Marek Jankulovski
Marek Jankulovski
Marek Jankulovski is a Czech footballer who currently plays for Czech club Baník Ostrava. His former club was Milan. He was voted the 2007 Czech Player of the Year....
Denmark Thomas Helveg
Thomas Helveg
Thomas Lund Helveg is a former Danish professional Association football player who played as a defensive midfielder and defender for Odense Boldklub in the Danish Superliga, with whom he won the 1989 Danish championship...
Martin Jørgensen
Martin Jørgensen
Lars Martin Jørgensen , more commonly known as Martin Jørgensen, is a Danish professional football player, who currently plays for Danish club AGF Aarhus. Jørgensen has played 101 matches and scored 12 goals for the Denmark national football team. He is the only player that has represented Denmark...
Per Krøldrup
Per Krøldrup
Per Billeskov Krøldrup is a Danish professional football player who plays as a central defender for Fiorentina in the Serie A championship...
Egypt Hazem Emam
Hazem Emam
Hazem Emam is a retired Egyptian footballer. He spent most of his career as an attacking midfielder for Zamalek SC. Hazem is one of the most talented players in the history of Egyptian football, and one of the most popular players ever in the Middle East.-Early life:Hazem was born in Mohandessin,...
Germany Oliver Bierhoff
Oliver Bierhoff
Oliver Bierhoff is a retired German former football striker, who scored the first golden goal in the history of major international football, for Germany in the Euro 96 final...
Carsten Jancker
Carsten Jancker
Carsten Jancker is a former German professional footballer and current manager.- Career :A striker, Jancker is physically very large for a footballer, standing at . His height and strength have proved to be an advantage when playing as a target man, as displayed during his most successful days at...
Ghana Stephen Appiah
Stephen Appiah
Stephen Leroy Appiah is a former Ghana International football midfielder and captain. He is currently a free agent. He has played for several European clubs since 1997 and is currently without a club. Appiah was a member of the Ghana national team, which he has represented at the youth, Olympic,...
Asamoah Gyan
Asamoah Gyan
Asamoah Gyan is a Ghanaian professional footballer, who plays as a striker for Emirati club Al Ain in the UAE Pro-League , and the Ghana national team....
Sulley Muntari
Sulley Muntari
Sulleyman Ali "Sulley" Muntari is a Ghanaian international footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for Serie A club Inter Milan in Italy. He has 66 caps for The Black Stars of Ghana.-Early career:...
Honduras Carlos Pavón
Carlos Pavón
Carlos Alberto Pavón Plummer is a Honduran football striker.He is most costly related to Real C.D. España of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras....
Peru Gerónimo Barbadillo
Gerónimo Barbadillo
Gerónimo Barbadillo González is a former Peruvian football player who played for UANL Tigres in Mexico, and for Avellino and Udinese in Italian Serie A. He also played with the Peruvian national team in the 1982 FIFA World Cup...
Poland Marek Koźmiński
Marek Kozminski
Marek Jan Koźmiński is a retired Polish football player.-Club:He played for clubs such as Hutnik Kraków, Udinese , Brescia , AC Ancona , PAOK Thessaloniki and Górnik Zabrze.-National team:...
Russia Igor Shalimov
Igor Shalimov
Igor Mihailovich Shalimov , is a retired football midfielder.Shalimov started his playing career in Spartak Moscow. After a few successful seasons with Spartak Moscow he transferred to Foggia. He impressed enough to garner the attention and eventual transfer to Internazionale...
Slovenia Samir Handanovič
Samir Handanovic
Samir Handanovič, is a Slovenian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Italian club Udinese and the Slovenian national team. He is well known for his ability to save pentalies...
Serbia Aleksandar Luković
Aleksandar Lukovic
Aleksandar Luković is a Serbian footballer who plays as a left back or centre back for Zenit St. Petersburg and the Serbian national team. He is known for his aggressive style of play.-Biography:...
South Africa Siyabonga Nomvethe
Siyabonga Nomvethe
Siyabonga Eugene Nomvethe is a South African soccer player who has played in several European leagues, and now represents Moroka Swallows in the Premier Soccer League...
Spain Ricardo Gallego
Sweden Arne Selmosson
Arne Selmosson
Arne Bengt Selmosson was a Swedish footballer who played for Jönköping, Udinese, Lazio and Roma. He played at the 1958 FIFA World Cup.He is the only person who scored for both Lazio and Roma in Derby della Capitale....
Switzerland Gökhan İnler
Gökhan Inler
Gökhan İnler is a Turkish-Swiss football player who plays as a central midfielder for Serie A side Napoli.-Early career:İnler started his career at FC Basel, but was later loaned out to FC Schaffhausen...
Yugoslavia Ivica Šurjak
Ivica Šurjak
Ivan "Ivica" Šurjak was a Yugoslavian footballer. He was the driving force behind Hajduk Split as it led the Yugoslav First League and Europe in the old stadium...
World Cup winners
Franco CausioFranco Causio
Franco Causio is an Italian, World Cup winning former footballer who played for Juventus for many years in the 1970s and 1980s.-Biography:Causio was born in Lecce , and moved to Juventus when he was 17....
(Spain 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
) Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus. He is a strong striker who can also play on the wing.-Reggiolo:...
(Germany 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
)