Chapter 273: Chapter 273: A Good Start
Chapter 273: A Good Start
Guidolin accepted Bruno's suggestion to sign Immobile from Dortmund, planning for Udinese's future.
The Italian forward would turn 26 in February, entering his prime. Typically, players maintain their peak form for four to five years. Udinese's current forwards were either too old or too young.
Di Natale, at 38, had already informed the club that he would retire at the end of the season. Another forward, Thauvin, would turn 33 in April, also nearing the end of his career.
Among the other forwards, Duván Zapata, at 24, was approaching his prime but had never been highly efficient, never scoring more than 10 goals per season at Napoli. On loan from Napoli, he had yet to prove himself, scoring only 3 goals and providing 1 assist in 13 matches across Serie A and the Champions League in the first half of the season. As for Aguirre and Perica, they were too young and inexperienced to be reliable.
...
Dortmund indeed intended to raise the price, rather than genuinely wanting to keep Immobile. The past season and a half had shown that the Italian forward struggled to adapt to the Bundesliga, making his stay meaningless.
Selling him now, while he was still relatively young, would fetch a higher transfer fee.
For a club like Dortmund, no player was truly off-limits if the price was right. After negotiations, Dortmund agreed to Udinese's €11 million offer for Immobile.
Eighteen months earlier, Dortmund had signed Immobile for €18.5 million. After his disappointing performance, his market value had dropped to €8 million. Selling him for €11 million was satisfactory for Dortmund.
Additionally, Udinese faced no competition for Immobile. Torino, his former club, was interested but only wanted a loan, unwilling to spend money.
With no other bids, Dortmund couldn't push the price too high, as Udinese might back out, leaving them stuck with the player.
On January 5, 2016, Udinese officially announced the signing of 26-year-old Italian forward Ciro Immobile from Dortmund for €11 million on a five-year contract.
Immobile was assigned the number 9 jersey, previously worn by Muriel, who had left the club.
...
At noon on January 6, Udinese faced Atalanta at the Friuli Stadium in their first match of the new year.
In the home locker room, Bruno sat tying the laces on his red boots tightly. Everyone at Udinese took the first match of the year very seriously.
Guidolin fielded the strongest lineup: Karnezis in goal; Cancelo, Danilo, Maguire, and Widmer in defense; Badu as the defensive midfielder; Widmer and Iturra on the wings; Bruno as the attacking midfielder; and Di Natale and Thauvin as the forwards.
The three new signings, Vidić, Ashley Cole, and Immobile, were on the bench but did not start.
"The players are entering the pitch, led by the referee."
"The home fans are giving a warm round of applause, clearly hoping for a good start to the new year for Udinese."
"Many fans are waving Bruno's flags. A week from now, the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or winner will be announced, and Udinese fans are obviously cheering for Bruno."
"In 2015, Bruno's performance was phenomenal, scoring 63 goals, far surpassing Ronaldo and Messi! He also provided 36 assists, the highest in the year."
"Thanks to Bruno's outstanding play, Udinese won the Serie A title, Champions League, Italian Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and the Club World Cup, becoming five-time champions!"
"The new year has begun. What will Bruno's performance be like this year?"
"Let's find out in tonight's match!"
...
With the referee's whistle, the match began. Thauvin quickly passed the ball to Di Natale, who then passed it back to the midfield, and then to the defense.
Udinese started cautiously, patiently passing the ball in their own half. Atalanta tried to press early, hoping to capitalize on the opening momentum.
After a few passes, Widmer received the ball on the right and sent it forward to Bruno. Bruno, with his back to the goal and defender Andrea Conti on his back, quickly passed the ball back to Iturra and sprinted forward.
Iturra understood and sent a half-height pass over Atalanta's defense.
"Udinese is quickly creating a threat."
"Bruno is chasing the ball on the left, with Atalanta's defenders in pursuit. Bruno crosses to the far post."
"Di Natale comes up and shoots!"
After an initial cheer, the 40,000 fans at the Friuli Stadium sighed in unison.
Di Natale, instead of controlling the ball, shot directly, but failed to keep it down, sending it over the bar.
Frustrated by the missed opportunity, Di Natale gave a thumbs-up to Bruno, acknowledging the good pass and taking responsibility for the miss.
...
Having been threatened by Udinese early, Atalanta became more cautious and tightened their defense.
Bruno knew Conti's strengths and weaknesses: strong defensive abilities and good at handling high balls, but often losing focus and easily beaten on turns. This was evident in the earlier attack.
Unfortunately, Di Natale couldn't capitalize on it, which would have made the game easier.
As Atalanta adjusted, Udinese's attacks faced more challenges.
Bruno felt the increased defensive attention, knowing that as a potential Ballon d'Or winner, he couldn't be underestimated. He needed to break through the layers of defense to prove his worth.
Fully engaged in the match, Bruno kept making runs and patiently waiting for opportunities.
Atalanta, under Reja's guidance, had significantly improved defensively this season. Despite selling three key players in the summer and being considered relegation candidates, they were tenth in the standings before the winter break, a surprise package.
Atalanta held out for 30 minutes against Udinese's pressure.
It wasn't until the 31st minute that Bruno found a gap in their defense.
...
It was a pass from Udinese's defense. Thauvin won the aerial duel, heading the ball to Bruno at the edge of the box.
Bruno, facing the ball, flicked it with his left foot, dodging a defending Atalanta player, and drove into the box. Before Conti could block him, Bruno unleashed a powerful right-footed shot, sending the ball into the net.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!"
"In the 31st minute of the first half, Udinese finally breaks Atalanta's defense!"
"Goal by Bruno Fernandes, 1-0!"
"This is Udinese's first league goal of 2016, a great start!"
After scoring, Bruno turned and sprinted towards the stands, spreading his arms wide, calling for applause and cheers from the Udinese fans.
The Friuli Stadium erupted with cheers, the fans' excitement seemingly ready to lift the stadium.
Bruno's teammates swarmed him, celebrating the goal.
"No one can doubt that Bruno is becoming increasingly crucial for Udinese."
"In the first 30 minutes, Udinese dominated but couldn't score. Bruno's pass created the best chance, but Di Natale missed it. Bruno kept creating opportunities but couldn't break the deadlock."
"Perhaps seeing his teammates struggle, Bruno decided to take matters into his own hands, scoring Udinese's first goal of 2016, his 20th league goal of the season."
"From the first 30 minutes, it's clear that Bruno has maintained his excellent form from the first half of the season, and his outstanding performance will undoubtedly propel Udinese forward."
(End of chapter)
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