Perennial mid-table finishers Udinese ended up one place lower than last season but with a better points tally. It was a similar sort of campaign for the Zebrette with a change of manager, a flirtation with relegation but ultimately quite a comfortable survival in the end.
Igor Tudor came in late the past couple of seasons to save Udinese from relegation and this time he was given the reins from the start of the campaign. A shock opening day victory over AC Milan gave the supporters hope but they were soon brought crashing back down to earth with three consecutive defeats. Even when they did pick up results,Tudor's side weren't very entertaining to watch. His only 3 wins from the first 10 league games were by 1-0 scorelines and, when the defence started to leak goals, his days were numbered. A 7-1 defeat at Atalanta and a 4-0 home loss to Roma spelt the end for Tudor.
The club promoted from within and appointed Luca Gotti who was part of Tudor's coaching staff. It had all the markings of a temporary solution, not least the man himself constantly ruling out the possibility of taking the job on a permanent role. Perhaps he was taking the pressure off himself and it appeared to work at first. Whilst Udinese would often fall against the top sides, they picked up vital wins and points against the teams around them.
There was a long 9 game winless run which started in January and extended into the post Coronavirus lockdown period. The Friulani were dragged into the relegation mire but had an excellent run-in where they won half of their final 10 games. 4 of those wins came away from home and the other was a memorable day when they denied Juventus the chance of being crowned champions at the Dacia Arena.
Only six teams had a better defensive record than Udinese this season and five of them were in the top 6. Rodrigo Becao was an excellent addition to the backline with some towering performances and goalkeeper Juan Musso kept the most clean sheets in Serie A with 14.
Udinese struggled for goals most of the season - with only the bottom two finishing on a lower tally but they seemed to click into gear in the closing stages of the season. Kevin Lasagna was on fire after the COVID lockdown, scoring 6 times in the first 6 games back to end the season as leading goalscorer. His speed coupled with the strength of Stefano Okaka formed a dangerous partnership up front. They were supplemented by a quality midfield where Rodrigo De Paul often pulled the creative strings but Seko Fofana's powerhouse performances in the engine room stood out. The Ivorian was the key in transitioning his side from defence into attack with lung busting runs which often led to goals, especially away from home.
Unfortunately for the club, Fofana has now been sold and more could follow. Despite his insistence that he wasn't the man for the job, Gotti was given the permanent role as manager for next season and this time around the pressure will really be on.
