The day after the victory over Napoli, Alessandro Zanoli was the man in the Udinese Tonight hot at. He shared his thoughts on the game before going on to discuss a series of other topics.
Sunday's win at Bluenergy Stadium came at the end of a week that started with a home defeat to Genoa, which made for a difficult build-up.
“It was a tough week mentally after a bad defeat to Genoa but we went into the match against Napoli very well prepared, both physically and mentally. We knew we could perform well and we did our jobs brilliantly. We started off with a lot of energy. We saw we could cause problems for Napoli by upping the tempo so that's what we did. We dominated the second half and barely ran any risks.”
It was another impressive performance after wins over Inter and Atalanta, which prompted the question: Do Udinese excel against the big teams?
“It's normal to feel adrenaline against big teams. They're 'easier' to play from a mental point of view. But you need to get points against smaller teams too because it's the same number of points no matter who you beat. We must get better at that, starting with our next game against Fiorentina, which is going to be very tricky. They need points but hopefully they'll start getting them after the next game!
“Consistency is the hardest thing to find but when you beat a big team it gives you confidence and that helps you to be consistent. That's something we have to work on. We believe in our ability and we know we're good – it's what others tell us too. Teams battling to avoid relegation don't beat Napoli, Inter and Atalanta. First of all, we have to make sure we don't have any worries when we look over our shoulders, then we can enjoy ourselves in matches like Sunday. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed myself so much out there – I didn't want to come off. It was amazing. Moments like that are the reason I want to do this job."
Alessandro joined in the summer together with Nicolo Zaniolo, Nicolo Bertola and Alessandro Nunziante – creating a contingent of Italians that Udinese hadn't seen in several years. “The physiotherapists and kit staff made us realise that. They were used to speaking very little Italian and now they can do it more. We often spend time together, as do the kitmen and physios. We've helped create a more 'Italian' environment. I'm having English lessons though, and so is Bertola, while the others are studying Italian. We all have lessons!”