Francesco Guidolin admits he is still ‘haunted’ by Maicosuel’s failed Panenka penalty during Udinese’s Champions League playoff defeat to Braga in 2012.
Udinese had scored all four of their penalties and only needed Maicosuel to convert for a place in the 2012-13 group stage, yet the then-new boy chipped his spot-kick straight at Braga goalkeeper Beto.
That is thought to be a decisive point in the Zebrette’s recent history, with the side having failed to recover in the intervening years.
Francesco Guidolin admits he is still ‘haunted’ by Maicosuel’s failed Panenka penalty during Udinese’s Champions League playoff defeat to Braga in 2012.
Udinese had scored all four of their penalties and only needed Maicosuel to convert for a place in the 2012-13 group stage, yet the then-new boy chipped his spot-kick straight at Braga goalkeeper Beto.
That is thought to be a decisive point in the Zebrette’s recent history, with the side having failed to recover in the intervening years.
“Six years on and I still can’t come to terms with it. It haunts me,” the former Swansea City boss told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I didn’t ask him why he decided to spoon it, but it was my mistake. I should’ve given his penalty to a player who had helped the team get so far, not our newest signing.
“The best players I coached at Udinese were Di Natale and [Alexis] Sanchez, but I lost so many others on the way: Handanovic, Asamoah, Isla…”