22 May 2022
22 May 2022

Cioffi says there is "always room for improvement" after Udinese end season on a high

The coach gave his thoughts after the team's final game of the campaign

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Speaking after Udinese's season came to a close with a resounding 4-0 victory against Salernitana, Gabriele Cioffi said: "As professionals we must have ethics, and you show that on the pitch. Respect for the sporting mentality and for ourselves is the basis.

"We have to say well done to the boys – we have reached a record number of points [47] since the 2012/13 season. What we did is what we had to do. They have made an entire city and the whole of Friuli proud."

Asked to score the season out of 10, Cioffi added: "The boys get a 10, but everything else is a six because there is always room for improvement. Football is all the same – the quality changes but basically you always coach people. I think our greatest success is to have created a special environment. 

"Now I want to enjoy this objective we've reached, which although small for us is a great achievement. There will be time to talk about contracts."

Commenting on 16-year-old Simone Pafundi, who made his Serie A debut in the contest, the coach says: "He is an extremely useful lad who has been training with us for four or five months – we were afraid of throwing him in too early.

"He is an undisputed talent – he has the ability to become a top player, like all the youngsters in the team, such as Udogie and Samardzic. But they have much work to do – they are only at the beginning of the climb."

On the contest with Salernitana, Cioffi says he expected a "strong start" from the opposing side.

"Playing at 21:00 we knew they'd be really focused. We told ourselves to start strongly and we did that, getting an early goal. 

"Davide Nicola has done extraordinary things with the team and Walter Sabatini, whom I embraced with affection, is a football icon."