Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 202: Wanting to Stay Low-Key, But Too Strong to Allow It

Bruno's departure caused Udinese to lose their midfield commander, and they lost control of the game. In the last twenty minutes, Juventus launched a frantic assault on Udinese's goal, forcing Udinese to retreat into a tight defensive formation.

Despite this, Udinese's defense was frequently tested. The relentless attacks from the Bianconeri kept the 40,000 Udinese fans on edge, fearing their team might concede at any moment. Fortunately, Udinese's defense was strong and stable. When the referee blew the final whistle, they maintained their 1-0 lead.

In the end, Udinese narrowly defeated Juventus 1-0, thanks to Salah's goal, temporarily extending their lead at the top of the standings to nine points. This victory also marked Udinese's 11th consecutive win in Serie A.

Since their unfortunate 3-4 home defeat to Genoa on November 1st in the 10th round, Udinese had won all 11 of their subsequent league matches, scoring 26 goals and conceding 11. This winning streak was tied for the second-longest in Serie A history.

Winning consecutive matches is hard, but maintaining such a streak in Serie A is even harder, as it's known for its defensive play. Since the 1996-1997 season, the probability of 0-0 draws in Serie A has been the highest among Europe's top four leagues. Many "peaceful battles" often halt winning streaks.

Therefore, despite Serie A's century-long history and many strong teams, long winning streaks are rare. The first team to achieve a 10-match winning streak was Juventus in the 1931-1932 season, scoring 30 goals and conceding 10. Then, AC Milan did it in the 1950-1951 season with 38 goals and 6 conceded, followed by Bologna in the 1963-1964 season with 25 goals and 6 conceded.

Records are meant to be broken, and in the 2005-2006 season, AS Roma set a new milestone with an 11-match winning streak, breaking a 42-year-old record. Inter Milan then created a new record in the 2006-2007 season, achieving a 17-match winning streak, the longest in the history of Europe's top five leagues.

Notably, Inter's streak began after a 0-0 draw with Udinese at Friuli Stadium and ended with a 1-1 draw against Udinese at the San Siro. Now, Udinese had created their own Serie A winning streak.

A week later, in the 22nd round of Serie A, Udinese lost 1-3 away to Napoli, ending their winning streak at 11 matches. This match saw Udinese's midfield core Bruno absent due to injury, significantly impacting the team. Additionally, captain Di Natale was suspended due to accumulated yellow cards. This loss was within Guidolin's expectations.

In the post-match press conference, when asked if he was disappointed by the loss, Udinese's coach Guidolin said, "No. I knew that this record would eventually end. Napoli is a strong opponent, and we lost our two key players. This loss doesn't surprise me. In fact, beating Juventus and extending the winning streak to eleven matches was already beyond my expectations."

Guidolin also addressed a previous topic, saying, "Udinese is just a small team with significant depth issues. The absence of any key player causes difficulties. So, our goal is simply to secure a Champions League spot, which is already a great result."

A journalist from La Gazzetta dello Sport remarked, "But Mr. Guidolin, despite this loss, you are still top of the league, six points ahead of Juventus!"

Before Udinese's match against Napoli, Juventus had defeated AC Milan 3-1 at home, bringing their points total to 50 after 22 rounds. With Udinese losing to Napoli, the gap between the two teams narrowed to six points. However, for top teams, a six-point lead is quite substantial.

"No, no, the league is very long, and our current standing doesn't mean much," said Guidolin. "The favorites for the title are Juventus, Roma, Napoli, Sampdoria, Fiorentina, Lazio, but not Udinese!"

The reporters were stunned by Guidolin's words!

Sure, it's understandable to see Juventus as a title contender. With their strength, overturning a six-point gap isn't difficult. Roma and Napoli, currently third and fourth in the league, trailing Udinese by 13 and 14 points respectively, can be considered title challengers.

But mentioning Sampdoria, Fiorentina, and Lazio seemed surprising, as these teams wouldn't consider themselves title contenders. Sampdoria and Lazio had 34 points each, while Fiorentina had 33 points, all trailing Udinese by 22 and 23 points.

Seeing Guidolin's sincere and humble expression, the reporters wondered if he was mocking those teams.

The Times reporter Smith couldn't hold back and said, "But the reality is your team is top of Serie A, with 18 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, including the second-longest winning streak in Serie A history!"

"These are just temporary results and don't change our goal of securing a Champions League spot," Guidolin said seriously.

"With 56 points from 22 games, leading the second place by six points?" a reporter from Corriere dello Sport asked.

"Yes. Last season, we finished third with 76 points. We still need 20 points. The season is long, and I don't know when we'll secure enough points for a Champions League spot!" Guidolin shrugged.

"Look at the 2009-2010 season: AC Milan finished third with 70 points. In 2010-2011, Napoli had 70 points. In 2011-2012, we were third with 64 points, which was unusual. In 2012-2013, AC Milan had 72 points. Last season, we had 76 points. To secure a top-three finish, 76 points is generally needed."

The reporters were stunned but had to admit Guidolin made a valid point. Securing a top-three finish with 64, 70, or 72 points is uncertain, but 76 points almost guarantees it.

Watching Guidolin's serious demeanor, the reporters were speechless.

Regardless of the exact points needed to secure a top-three finish, a team with 56 points from 22 games, one of Europe's best records, aiming for just 20 more points in the remaining 16 games seemed odd.

"Believe it or not, our goal of securing a Champions League spot is challenging and stressful," Guidolin insisted.

Guidolin's post-match interview attracted attention across Europe.

In the latest issue of La Gazzetta dello Sport, it was reported: "While I think Udinese's coach lacks greater ambition and confidence in his team's prospects, I must praise his humility. Despite leading Serie A by six points, he insists that their primary goal is to secure a Champions League spot. This cautious and humble attitude shows that Guidolin hasn't been carried away by their current success. However, I still believe Guidolin and his team can aim higher."

The Times echoed this sentiment: "A dark horse team has emerged in Serie A, with an interesting coach. Guidolin, nearing 60, claims his team still needs 20 points to secure a top-three finish, focusing on a Champions League spot despite being league leaders."

Germany's Bild listed the current standings of the top five European leagues: Chelsea in the Premier League with 56 points from 24 games, Real Madrid in La Liga with 54 points from 22 games, Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga with 49 points from 20 games, Lyon in Ligue 1 with 50 points from 24 games, and Udinese in Serie A with 56 points from 22 games. Clearly, Udinese had the best record among Europe's top leagues.

Bild humorously concluded: "Coach Guidolin is humble and low-key, seemingly not wanting his team in the spotlight. But their excellent record makes it impossible to stay low-key."

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