by InTrieste
Udinese presented its first team and Primavera youth squad on Tuesday, 18 August, at Parco Moretti, marking the start of a new Serie A campaign and highlighting the club’s close ties with the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional government.
Mario Anzil, the regional vice governor responsible for sports, said the region would continue to support Udinese both financially and through partnerships involving international sporting events. He pointed to the recent FVG Cup as an example of the collaboration.
“Udinese is an extraordinary instrument for promoting our territory,” Anzil said, noting that the club has brought top-level Serie A soccer to Friuli for more than three decades.
The presentation was attended by Udinese owner Gianpaolo Pozzo, as well as Udine Deputy Mayor Alessandro Venanzi, Udinese general manager Franco Collavino and Giorgio Marcon, president of the regional Olympic committee.
Anzil also linked the club to what he described as the traditional character of Friuli, recalling the communal atmosphere surrounding soccer in the region during the 1980s.
The evening included a moment of silence for communities in Carnia, where severe wildfires have affected several areas in recent days. “Carnia is the mother of Friuli,” Anzil said in Friulian, dedicating the moment to the region’s residents.
On the field, Udinese, coached by Kosta Runjaic, is preparing for its Serie A opener against Como on Saturday. The team advanced in the Coppa Italia after defeating Padova.
Among the players confirmed for the new season are Keinan Davis and Nicolò Zaniolo, whose future with the club remains the subject of negotiations over a contract renewal. New arrivals include Basque attacking midfielder Unai Gómez from Athletic Bilbao, Georgian playmaker Giorgi Chakvetadze and Kosovo international right-back Mërgim Vojvoda.
