Cioffi, three games to try to stay at the head of Udinese

Tomorrow the Italian Cup, then the exams with Cagliari and Salernitana in the league Club at the window: should it fail, you have to deal with budgets and risky choices

UDINE

“There is no summit scheduled.” Gabriele Cioffi ended his evening as protagonist on the Udinese bench with these words, in the first as head coach in Serie A, words that fully define Udinese’s strategy for the post Luca Gotti and give a flavor to the statements of the club, through the mouth of the director Pierpaolo Marino, before the match against Milan: «We are aiming straight at him and on technical continuity. He was a determined and passionate defender and we want to add these qualities to our team ». And, in fact, Cioffi’s Udinese was like this, all heart and starts against the now former leaders, a message to those who expected “Pep” turns for the game of the bianconeri who, if they do not press like mad, if they do not exhibit a high center of gravity, perhaps it is because they do not have the technical-tactical characteristics to be an aggressive team.

It is difficult to say at this point if the Cioffi management will be able to affect the mentality, also because it is not yet known whether that of the Florentine coach will only be an interregnum or if he will complete the season as a “starter”.

This is the mystery that still surrounds the future of the Juventus bench, on which more and more details are gradually emerging. Gino Pozzo, once he understood that Gotti was no longer able to affect a changing room that proved difficult to manage in the long run, evaluated the free coaches market and opted once again for the deputy, just as it had been when the Contarina’s technician took over from Igor Tudor in November two years ago.

The list was not rich and also conditioned by the budget: we know that Udinese are not used to spending six-figure figures for the bench. So forget the suggestions Rino Gattuso or even the rumors about Marco Giampaolo under contract with Turin for a million and a half net until June. All in all, even a Roberto Donadoni who looks to the easy bucks abroad after a decent career in Serie A is at the limit. There on the border, to be clear, there would be someone like Rolando Maran (900 thousand euros from Genoa until 30 June 2022), under more or less credible and “eligible candidates” even in the area close to Udinese. Then there is the so-called Spanish track which, if you really have to take another risk, then it must be taken into consideration, given that the character in question is a sort of Zeman of the Canaries, a certain Paco Jémez who – it is said – Gino Pozzo follows from weather.

But if between Cagliari and Salernitana (after the Italian Cup tomorrow with Crotone), Cioffi should fail – touch iron, please – why still go looking for adventures with the water that would be in the throat? This is why it is appropriate to ride the enthusiasm of Cioffi, one who has restarted from Gotti’s legacy by doing everything right until the final minutes, when he should have replaced Beto and evaluated the one on Walace. “I did it, I thought about it,” he confessed after the match before explaining why he left them on the pitch. Basically there he made a mistake, but he reasoned “from the head”. –