Udinese insist they are still a side to be respected despite the summer sales of Cristian Zapata, Gokhan Inler and Alexis Sanchez.
Udinese insist they are still a side to be respected despite the summer sales of Cristian Zapata, Gokhan Inler and Alexis Sanchez.
Defender Zapata has joined Villarreal, Napoli netted midfielder Inler and Sanchez finally completed his move to Barcelona.
“I don’t understand, nor accept, this climate of pessimism around us,” Udinese patron Gianpaolo Pozzo noted. “It’s like this every summer.
“I just ask the fans to believe in us. We’ve been looking after this club for 25 years with the same philosophy and the results are there for everyone to see.
“I’m not asking for a climate of optimism to be designed around us, we just want balanced views and faith – nothing more.
“I’ve read in a few articles that we have dismantled the squad and that we haven’t adequately replaced the players who have left.
“Instead, I think we are stronger in defence than we were last season and in midfield we have Emmanuel Badu who has always been ready when asked to perform.
“In attack, we have replaced Sanchez with Paulo Vitor Barreto, a player who we have recalled to Udine. We did so because we believe in him.”
Brazilian Barreto was signed by Udinese in 2005 as a 20-year-old before being sent on loan to Treviso and Bari.