The first player in the Udinese Tonight hotseat this season was club captain Jesper Karlstrom, two days on from the 1-1 draw with Como.
The Swede shared his thoughts on the game, ran the rule over some of his team-mates and spoke about two big life events that happened to him in June.
He began by praising the team for their performance at the weekend.
“I'm happy because Como are a great team. I think we played well, especially in the first half. It wasn't easy but we did well. We showed the right spirit. I think it was our best opening-day performance since I've been here. Last year when we played with a similar energy we produced some great performances. I hope we can carry on like this.
“It was good for our belief that we played well without Keinan – and without [Arthur] Atta and [Thomas] Kristensen too. It shows we have lots of players who can cut it.
“It's a shame in a way that we didn't win because we had the chances to win it but Como did too. We're happy but know we can do better.”
The captain was then asked about recent signing Unai Gomez, who could come in for Nicolo Zaniolo when the Italian is not available.
“Gomez is a good player and I think he's ready to start. Zaniolo is very important for us but, like with Davis against Como, if he can't play someone else will step in for him. Gomez is an energetic, skilful player. I'm sure he'll help us a lot.”
Meanwhile Matteo Palma impressed at the back against Como – and Karlstrom predicts a bright future for the Udinese academy product.
“Palma did really well. I like the way he plays. He's a good lad and he acts like a veteran. He has the ability to play at the very highest level. Behaviour-wise I was a bit like him at his age, just a bit more fiery.”
June was a big month for Karlstrom as it saw him play in his first World Cup as well as the birth of his daughter.
“I was in the US when my daughter was born so the first time I saw her was on FaceTime. It was a difficult choice for me not to be there – and one we discussed together of course – but I'm glad everything went well. The World Cup only happens once, whereas I'll be a dad all my life. I got to spend time with my daughter when I came back. Now I'm learning to be a proper dad. When you look at your daughter, it gives you the energy to do anything.”
As for the tournament itself: “It was an amazing experience – the team spirit, the games, the stadiums, the organisation. The best part was being with my team-mates. We had a lot of fun together. It's something I'll never forget. For a footballer, it's more important to play at the World Cup than in the Champions League.”