Written by Matteo Ciaramella
We all love a good underdog story. Seeing the little guy succeed and drive big clubs mad is spectacular. The mighty and the rich are despised for the unfair advantage that they have, and seeing them in defeat provides us with hope and optimism. Underdog stories show the rest of the world that with hard work, anything is possible, and that is a comforting thought. Unfortunately, due to the monopolized nature of the sport, these comforting narratives are a rare event in football, but it is thanks to this rarity that underdog stories have a special feel to them, almost like magic. Fans marvel at them while they take place, cherish and remember them in the years to come. An example of this is Udinese’s 2011-2012 miracle.
Udinese have been one of the most consistent mid table teams in Serie A. They are one of those proud, historic clubs that are a constant presence in Italian football, and without them, the sport would feel different. Occasionally they are able to pull off miraculous seasons and climb their way up to the top 4. It is always a joy to see, especially because they play beautiful attacking football. The 2011-2012 season was no different. This team was what Atalanta is to the current Serie A. An aggressive unit, built thanks to phenomenal scouting and intelligent spending, focused on offensively suffocating opponents and mesmerizing fans. Captained by club legend Antonio Di Natale, Udinese capped off an incredible season, finishing in 3rd, though expectations were different. Despite a 4th league finish the previous season, Udinese was thought to be a one-season wonder, especially because the team had lost four of its key players: vice-captain Cristiàn Zapata, Simone Pepe, Gokhan Inler, and star Alexis Sanchez. Fans and media were sure that this would effectively ruin Udinese’s chances of finishing in a European spot, but Di Natale & co. thought otherwise.
Coached by Francesco Guidolin, Udinese’s 3-5-2 formation did not lose its offensive prowess in the slightest bit. To preserve a dangerous attacking duo, Guidolin employed aging veteran Antonio Floro Flores in more of a “no. 10” position to play off of Antonio Di Natale and allow Udinese’s captain to exploit his agility, speed, and finishing ability. The offense was also powered by the quick, tough wide midfielders Pablo Armero and Dusan Basta, adding manpower and pressure to an already deadly attack, with crosses and movements toward goal. Finally, an additional midfielder would join the offense, usually powerful box-to-box players like Kwadwo Asamoah or Mauricio Isla to add a finishing touch to a brutal charge on goal by the Udinese offensive machine, feared by defenders across the entire league.
As a result, Udinese won all 7 of their first games at home, and went unbeaten for 8 matchdays. A memorable win was against Inter, at the San Siro. With a 73rd minute goal, Mauricio Isla caused screams, joy, and commotion that echo in Udinese fans’ memory to this day. A magical night for a small team that took down a true giant of the sport, in a truly gigantic stadium. The 2-0 wins against both Roma and Lazio saw the capital of Italy have no choice but to bow down to the unstoppable team, hailing from the small city of Udine.
So many incredible moments and games, all encapsulated in the wonder that was the 2011-2012 season.
Why is this season so legendary? The way I see it, this 3rd place finish was legendary simply because of what Udinese stands for and the place it represents. Throughout the entire season the team heavily battled it out against the likes of Napoli, Milan, Inter, Juve, Roma, and Lazio, who represent the biggest cities in Italy. Naples, Milan, Torino, and Rome are the financial, political, and cultural hubs of Italy, dwarfing the small city that is Udine. Located in the far northeast, away from the center of everything, no one pays this place any mind, but for this season, the city’s name and reputations were placed on a higher pedestal than usual. The soldiers in white and black, guided by their general Francesco Guidolin, were able to exceed expectations and defend their city honorably, giving its people a season to remember for the ages.
References
https://calcio.fanpage.it/udinese-paok-salonicco-ecco-il-16mo-di-finale-di-europa-league-2012/
https://www.legaseriea.it/it/serie-a/match-report/2011-12/UNICO/UNI/35/UDILAZ
https://www.legaseriea.it/it/serie-a/match-report/2011-12/UNICO/UNI/14/INTUDI
https://www.legaseriea.it/it/serie-a/match-report/2011-12/UNICO/UNI/13/UDIROM
Great stuff man, keep going this way!