UDINE. Udinese who get back to work on Friday 25 November, after 12 days of vacation, will have to wait another 40 before returning to play for the three points, when the championship resumes which will see the Friulians host Empoli at Friuli on 4 January.
The long stop is therefore still a long way from its epilogue and above all it brings with it a whole series of questions and fears related to the form conditions in which the teams will return.
Concerns that Udinese must not have, at least according to the opinion of an expert athletic trainer in the sector such as Claudio Bordon, ex Inter, Parma and Palermo who wrote pages of history in Udine working with Francesco Guidolin, and who analyzed thread and for sign the pros and cons of this unprecedented winter break for the Italian championship.
Bordon, insiders have feared this break since the beginning of the season. Is this a valid concern?
«Yes and no, because it’s undeniable that the stop interrupts the activity and certain habits, but in Germany, in the Nordic countries and also in Russia where I worked, the long stop is a practice. Any problems are not related to physical fitness conditions, firstly because the players are never completely still, and secondly because in a couple of weeks they get back to full speed, but rather to the psychological aspect linked to performance».
Can you elaborate more, going into detail?
«Official matches increase tensions, bring adrenaline into circulation and push the athlete to play at his maximum level, and all this emotional component is now suspended for those who don’t play the World Cup. This is the problem of those who go back to training without having the goal of an official match. Organizing a mini-tournament would undoubtedly have helped, as luxury friendlies can help. Having said this, it must also be said that so far we have played almost every three days, compressing the number of events, and therefore the break is also an advantage for recovering».
Is it correct to think of a preparation to be redone, as is customary in the summer?
“No. Rather I believe that we will focus on the implementation of individual works. Today the staff are full-bodied and the assistance that the player has is relevant. The clubs are organized to follow the players from an individual point of view, and then physical preparation is one of the few elements in football that can be kept under constant observation. In summary, if you work well, you don’t experience a physical decline, but a motivational decline».
Udinese has chosen to stay at Bruseschi, without spending the winter in warmer shores…
«So Atalanta and Juventus have also decided and for me it’s a logical and better choice than those who will go in the heat, because then you always need a week to readjust when you return, going from one climate to another, and it’s not the best . When I was in Russia in Saturn it was a must to spend the winter and we went to Turkey, where the big advantage was being able to play high-level friendlies between the many teams that had made the same choice. Now in Italy we are far from the harsh Russian temperatures or the winters of the past».
Bordon, have you noticed a recent drop in Sottil’s Udinese, who seemed uncontainable in September?
“No. I haven’t noticed any physical decline, on the contrary, but only a tactical change in the opponents. Udinese was a surprise at the start and the match analysts know how to do their job. Now whoever faces Udinese withdraws and no longer plays openly, and for Udinese it is a difficulty».
Sottil is making the team work a lot in training.
«As always, it matters how you work, apart from the fact that working is always good. Having said that, I think Sottil is bringing his grit back into training too and then Sottil too, like many modern coaches, have also evolved a lot in terms of preparation thanks to the courses in Coverciano».
Another aspect is the World Cup, where Udinese has only one representative, the Cameroonian Enzo Ebosse.
«It is undoubtedly an advantage because whoever gets to the bottom of the World Cup will then find a considerable physical load when the season resumes. Then it must also be said that in Qatar the games will be played in air-conditioned stadiums, in a very particular and unprecedented environment, which is not exactly the best».