Football
"Winning Serie A Will Be Tough": Former Bianconeri star Agyemang-Badu Sets Realistic Target for Udinese
Former Udinese midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu praises his ex-club’s strong Serie A start but emphasizes the difficulty of winning the title, highlighting their focus on youth development over trophies.
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Udinese midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu is impressed with his former club’s strong start in Serie A but believes winning the Scudetto will be a tough challenge.
The White and Blacks had a disappointing 2023-24 season, narrowly avoiding relegation with only a three-point cushion above the drop zone.
This season, in a remarkable turnaround, the Friuli Stadium has seen a strong start, with the team winning five out of nine matches in the Italian topflight, placing them in seventh position.
Udinese have impressively won four of their last home matches, with their most recent triumph being a 2-0 victory over Cagliari, thanks to goals from Lorenzo Lucca and Keinan Davis.
In a no-holds-barred chat with SportsBoom, the Ghanaian football legend, who represented the Italian side for ten seasons, praised his former team's performance and discussed the factors that have contributed to the club's strength.
"Udinese have been outstanding so far this season. We brought in a coach who’s doing an exceptional job, and, fortunately, our sporting director is my former teammate, Gokhan Inler,” Agyemang-Badu told SportsBoom.com.
"He's familiar with the environment, knows the president, and has strong connections with everyone at the club. Their partnership has been fantastic, and I hope they continue this momentum.”
"I’ve been following every Udinese game and continue to support them wholeheartedly. Their 2-0 win over Cagliari has moved them into a very comfortable position."
After completing a loan spell at the Spanish club Recreativo de Huelva, the retired midfielder joined Udinese on January 28, 2010, where he made a total of 178 appearances in all competitions.
The Black Star moved to Verona ten years later, after also having a loan spell with the Turkish Super Lig side Bursaspor.
Winning Serie A title will be tough for Udinese
Despite having had notable players like Alexis Sanchez, Antonio Di Natale, Stephen Appiah, Oliver Bierhoff, and Agyemang-Badu over the years, the Serie A title has eluded Udinese throughout their 127-year history.
Their best finish in the top division remains a third-place spot achieved during the 2011-12 season, with only Juventus and AC Milan finishing ahead of them.
When asked if his former club can finally end their long wait, Agyemang-Badu stated that it would be a challenging task given their current ideology and focus.
Winning Serie A would be incredibly challenging and tough—that’s just the reality. If it happens, it would be a fantastic bonus for the club, but Udinese isn’t a team that places heavy emphasis on trophies.
Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu
The club is more focused on developing young, talented players and helping them reach the highest levels, as they did with players like Alexis Sanchez, Kwadwo Asamoah, and Gokhan Inler himself. That’s the club’s true ambition.”
"Winning the league would be challenging, but the club always aims to finish in a strong, respectable position.”
"We're known for developing talented young players and preparing them for success beyond our club."
Can Udinese achieve European qualification?
"Agyemang-Badu remains cautious about Udinese's chances of qualifying for Europe, even though he is optimistic about the Little Zebra's recent strong performances," he added.
"The league has just begun, and there's still a long way to go. Eventually, injuries will arise, which could disrupt the coach's plans.”
"I hope that doesn’t happen. I also hope we can finish between first and seventh.”
Things will get tougher starting in January, so I'm wishing for good luck and an injury-free season.”
"I hope they keep working hard so we can reach our goals, whether that's qualifying for Europe or building a strong, competitive team."
After facing Venezia, next up for Kosta Runjaic's team is a home fixture against Juventus on November 2.
Shina Oludare is a notable Nigerian sports journalist and writer recognized for his extensive coverage of African sports. He has made significant contributions to the field through his work with reputable media outlets such as Goal.com and Soccernet. Known for his insightful analysis and comprehensive reporting, Oludare covers a wide range of topics within African football, including domestic leagues, national teams, and emerging talents. His work includes detailed player profiles, match previews and reviews, and transfer news, providing valuable insights into the intricacies of the sport on the continent.