Nickname(s): The Little Zebras
All-Time Ranking: 13th
2007/2008 Finish: 7th
2008/2009 Position (as of 04/07): 14th
Coach: Pasquale Marino
Key Players: Antonio Di Natale, Fabio Quagliarella, Gaetano D’Agostino
History:
Udinese was founded in 1896, making it one of the oldest teams in Serie A, but the squad would have no success until 1950 when they were finally promoted to Serie A. Just five years later, the team almost shocked the nation when they finished second to Milan for the scudetto. Soon after though they disappeared from the top flight for decades again.
In 1983, a Brazilian, Zico, helped Udinese return to Serie A, but a 1986 match-fixing scandal would cost them their spot in the top division. They were promoted again though in 1995 and have been a fixture in Serie A ever since, but they have never really competed for any major trophies. In fact, they have absolutely no significant hardware.
American Sports Doppleganger:
Udinese has been a consistent team who has finished in the top half of the table multiple times, but it has never been good enough to beat the best. So, I will compare them to the NFL’s San Diego Chargers. Like Udinese, the Chargers have a long history of being a decent team, but they have never been able to best all their opponents and win a title.
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