Marco Silvestri expressed his delight at being able to play in front of spectators again after making his competitive debut for Udinese against Ascoli.
“I'm really pleased with the result today and I enjoyed myself out there with my new team-mates,” the shot-stopper began.
“It was wonderful to have some fans back in the stands, even though there weren't that many. It's just fantastic to have supporters so close and to be able to hear them. We'd all had enough of playing football without the fans.”
Silvestri also acknowledged that the 3-1 Coppa Italia victory was the ideal warm-up for their Serie A opener against Juventus in a week's time.
“Pre-season is all about getting ready for when the real matches start and we showed tonight that we're on track.
“We were up against a well-drilled side with good players and they played really well. It wasn't easy but we put in a good performance and I think we'll be ready for our game against Juventus.
“It won't be easy against a side like Juve but our performance tonight is great for morale.”