Brandon Soppy and Beto Betuncal said their first words as Udinese players in a news conference held at Dacia Arena on Tuesday. Introducing the new signings to the media was Udinese technical director Pierpaolo Marino. Read on to find out what they had to say.
Pierpaolo Marino
“Beto is a striker we'd been keeping tabs on for a while. He's made a bit of a name for himself with his recent performances but we were scouting him long before then – he's been attracting attention in Portugal since he was a youth player. He's a modern striker with great pace despite his physique and he puts to good effect in and around the box. I think the team can exploit his attributes and do really well.
“Soppy is a young player who already looks like the whole package. I'm sure he can contribute to the team straight away but we'll give him time to settle in properly. He's already played a lot with Rennes. He reminds me of Edgar Davids – the way he would burst forward with the ball.
“I think we'll look back and remember the day these two stars were first introduced.”
Brandon Soppy
“I want to thank Marino. I'm so happy the club have shown this faith in me. I think my greatest strength is my pace, both in defence and going forward.
“I know there's a lot of competition for just one position but I think that helps players push themselves.
“The player I've been most impressed by is [Sebastien] De Maio. He works so hard and always has some advice to give you. It's like having an older brother I can turn to.
“Serie A is very physical, with lots of tackles. Udinese play good football and I'm sure this season will be better than the last few. I think playing in Serie A will help me improve the defensive side of my game.
“Udine is a beautiful, calm city – ideal for focusing on our work. The fans have been writing a lot on social media and I can't wait to meet them in person.
“My first impression of [Luca] Gotti is very good. He showed how happy he was to have me here and that's important – especially for us young players.”
Beto
“I think the attributes I have are hard to find because I'm both strong and fast. I'm sure I can do well here with the help of my team-mates. I immediately felt at home – all the staff have been very welcoming. I think I'm going to have a great time here. Also, what Marino said about the club tracking me for a long time made me feel important.
“My first idol was [Samuel] Eto'o then [Didier] Drogba too. Lately I've been watching [Romelu] Lukaku, [Robert] Lewandowski and [Erling] Haaland to try to pick up some of their secrets.
“I'm really excited about playing with the other forwards at Udinese – I'm sure we'll complement each other. I think I'll receive lots of crosses and can provide lots of assists myself. I can't wait to start playing with them.
“I scored lots of goals in Portugal but Serie A is very different. I'll have to adjust very quickly. I'd like to score lots of goals in Italy and help the team – and hopefully soon.
“I know lots of the fans here play fantasy football and lots of them have picked me – I hope I don't disappoint them.
“The coach has asked me to keep calm and work hard to adapt my game to what he wants from the forwards. He knows exactly how he wants to play and that helps us to have a clear set of reference points.”