Return to past for Luca Gotti. The coach, very close to salvation at the helm of Lecce (it would be the first achieved in Serie A by a coach who took over in the running) challenges his former team struggling with three direct clashes (Empoli and Frosinone after Lecce) to avoid Serie B. Gotti arrived at Udinese in one of the many crossroads of his career and, almost by chance and sometimes reluctantly, found himself profitably leading the first team, leading them to remain in the category for two years.
REGRET JUVE. Luca Gotti, fresh from working with Sarri at Chelsea in 2018/2019, was not called by the Tuscan coach to Juventus, where Martusciello went. From there, Udinese seized the opportunity, and, at Igor’s request Tudorincluded Gotti in the technical organization chart at the starting line of the 2019/2020 season.
SERIES A FLAP. Four defeats in a row cost Tudor the bench after 11 matches. The decision was made official after the match October 30, 2019, when Udinese lost 0-4 against Roma. While waiting for the appointment of a new trainer, Gotti initially received the role of interim coach and won on his debut against Genoa. In Udine, in the winter of 2020, before the lockdown, we admired a team that hadn’t played so well since Guidolin’s time (also a victory in Lecce with a late goal from De Paul) despite…Gotti didn’t want to coach them. “The truth is that my intention would be not to go anywhere, I hope to remain in the same locker room with the role that belongs to me. Am I the owner technician? It won’t happen, I made myself available to the company to find the best solution without urgency.”, this is how Gotti spoke in front of the cameras after the draw against SPAL. However, humility and enormous preparation convinced the then sporting director Pierpaolo Marine. It was the best solution for Udinese Gotti, guarantor of the balance of the team led to safety in the year of the lockdown.
INNOVATIVE FOOTBALL. The tight deadlines between the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 seasons and the search for continuity forced Gotti to take responsibility. In Udine, the coach proposed (his words) “a kick out of the First Republic”, where the goal had to go beyond being satisfied and achieving maximum results with minimum effort and the accompanying obligation to squeeze every drop of energy out of all races. Behind the compactness of his Udinese there is an attitude propositive, instilled in the various footballers available, often coming from foreign leagues with their first experience in Italy. Gotti was good at capitalizing on the strengths of his physically structured players. The goalkeeper’s throws towards the striker, supported by a second striker ready to attack the space, served to create spaces to attack and cross, while the technical contribution of the midfielders was focal (De Paul and Pereyra, strong points of Gotti’s Udinese). . In Lecce, we are appreciating Gotti’s capacity for observation and valorisation, immediately oriented towards building a short team, with two points, based on the relationships between the elements and on short measures especially in the non-possession phase.
SALVATION BIS. In Gotti’s second year in Udine, the Zebrette finished in 14th place and the team, with among the best MolinaArslan in addition to the already mentioned De Paul and Pereyra, takes home the loaf without a hint of weight (top scorer De Paul with 9) and overcoming a start in the red zone in which a lot was produced without realizing. It’s the second positive season for the former deputy turned guide.
COUNTERPASS. Luca Gotti’s fate at Udinese was reversed in the following championship. In 2021/2022, after a positive start and Beto’s explosion while waiting for Deulofeu’s growth, just one victory in 12 matches leads Udinese to make another change in the wake of continuity. In place of Gotti… goes deputy Gabriele Cioffi, who returned to the Bianconeri this year in place of Sottil. A sort of Dantesque retaliation for the Porto Viro coach, now close to sealing his first success in Serie A away from Udine. It will be Gotti’s second match against Udinese as a former player. Last season, on 8 November 2022, Gotti’s Spezia drew 1-1 with Sottil’s Zebrette. Lovric responded to Reca’s advantage from La Spezia.
