Bram Nuytinck has shared his views on some of the recent changes at the club, including the departure of club captain Rodrigo De Paul and how Udinese will make up for his absence, new signing Destiny Udogie and the return from injury of numerous players, playing in Serie A and a possible new defensive system for the team.
Speaking as a guest on Udinese TV's Udinese Tonight show, the 31-year-old began by commenting on how pre-season training is going, as he prepares for his fifth season at the club.
“We started our training camp [in Sankt Veit] today and we're working really hard. We must train hard to get ready for the new season.
“We'll obviously play differently without De Paul. He was a very important player for us. It's hard to be sure at the moment how things will change but we'll need to play more as a team. Last year we relied on him a lot and it's going to be different now without him and [Juan] Musso. It will take a few weeks to understand how we're going to play.”
The centre-back also discussed the defensive set-ups Udinese could utilise in the coming campaign.
“I think we can play four at the back as well, not just three. I've always played in four-man backlines throughout my career. It's a bit different at Udinese because in the last few seasons we've played with three but we're working on both in training. We played four at the back in our first friendly and it didn't all come naturally. You have to put in the work on the training ground.”
On Serie A and other leagues: “I've played in Belgium, Netherlands and Italy. They're all different but I think Serie A is the hardest league in the world as all the teams are really tough. The mentality is different here too: as a defender your number one priority is to defend and keep a clean sheet; it's different in the Netherlands. I've improved since I've been in Italy. The team has improved too and now we want to play good football with [Luca] Gotti.”
On the toughest team in Serie A: “I think the hardest team to play against is Atalanta. They do so much running and attacking.”
On the possibility of replacing De Paul as club captain: “De Paul was an amazing captain, on and off the field. It won't be easy for anyone to take over the armband. It would be great to be captain but we haven't spoken about it yet. I've always strived to help the team and I always will. We'll see what happens.”
On new signing Destiny Udogie: “He's very good. He's still young but he has a presence about him and he plays the ball very well.”
On his most in-form team-mate: “It has to be El Tucu [Pererya]. He's really keen to improve and do everything he can for the team. I hope he has a big season ahead.”
On Gerard Deulofeu's return to training: “He's very important for us. He's clearly a hugely talented player and it's a shame he got injured last season. Having him back will be a big boost for us, as will the return of Nacho [Pussetto] and [Mato] Jajalo.”
On the fans: “I want to thank the fans for their messages – they gave me goose bumps. I've always felt at home in Udine and I can't wait to see the fans back at the stadium.”