Udinese taking nothing for granted

Udinese sporting director Fabrizio Larini is happy with his side’s position in Serie A, but knows they are not entitled to stay there.

Francesco Guidolin’s men are second in the Italian top flight following a 1-0 win over Palermo on Sunday, with captain Antonio Di Natale scoring the only goal of the match.

Udinese have lost only once in nine matches played so far this season and are just one point behind league leaders Juventus.

Despite their strong start to the season, coach Guidolin and his colleague Larini have set realistic expectations for the campaign ahead.

“Francesco Guidolin has been saying the right things and we know what to expect in the championship,” Larini said.

“We’re satisfied by the position we’re now holding in the table and we are aware that it could be temporary.”

“But at the same time we are trying our best to get as many points as possible and achieve our first objective, which is to have 40 points.”

“If we have the chance, we’d also like try to and achieve other things.”

Veteran Di Natale has now bagged an impressive six goals in seven appearances this season.

But Larini stopped short of heaping praise on the 34-year-old, pointing out his healthy return in front of goal is a product of the team’s collective efforts.

“We know all about Antonio Di Natale’s qualities and his importance, especially in the penalty area, therefore we’re not surprised by his goal scoring record,” Larini said.

“But we should also say that the whole team works hard in order to support Antonio, since they know the advantages in supporting him.”

Chile international Mauricio Isla echoed the thoughts of his Udinese superiors, by insisting the team’s primary goal was to secure their safety in the top flight.

“Our objective is to reach 40 points in order to be safe from relegation,” Isla said.

“We’ve already lost against a great team like Napoli so today it was very important for us to put in a good performance as our supporters like the way we play.”

“Di Natale … is the kind of player able to score goals any time. I’m very happy for him since he keeps on making great performances. ”

Udinese’s next match is a trip to face Atletico Madrid in the Europa League, followed by the visit of Siena in Serie A.