As per tradition, the Christmas toast with the press was held on Wednesday at the Udinese Club House, an occasion to take stock of the year that is about to end and thank one another for the fruitful collaboration that has been developed over the months. During the first part of the event, which was held in the Bluenergy Stadium auditorium, there were speeches by Gianpaolo Pozzo, General Manager Franco Collavino, Group Technical Director Gian Luca Nani, Head of the Technical Area Gokhan Inler, team captain Jesper Karlstrom and coach Kosta Runjaic, which can be read below.
Pozzo: “I’ve been here for forty years now and I’ve seen at least two generations of press representatives over this period. I have had the pleasure of spending all these years together with you. You’ve always been very collaborative when things went well as well as when they got hard. Much has changed in the football world since I first arrived here. As a fan I’d like to see more and more, but remaining in the top flight for 30 years alone is no easy feat. I want to wish everyone happy holidays.”
Collavino: “We’ve achieved many good results in 2025; it was an important year both on and off the pitch. 2026 will also be a good year, as we will remain focused on the area we operate in and the collaborations with the institutions, to create added value for the entire community.
“From a competitive point of view, the year started off great, with a series of positive results that enabled us to secure safety very early on. As you know, however, Udinese Calcio is a lot more off the pitch too and in April we presented the first ever energy community in Italian football, another major project we’ve carried out together with Bluenergy following our solar park, which will contribute to creating the first ever centre on food disorders in the province of Udine.
"In May the Serie A season drew to a close with a string of less positive results, but for most of the season we remained in the top half of the table and we made the most of many talents. It was nevertheless an important season and overall, a positive one. Based on the good results we achieved, we consolidated and confirmed our project with coach Kosta Runjaic, with whom we are very happy, and two very important club officials: Gian Luca Nani and Gokhan Inler.
"As per tradition, we had a busy transfer window this past summer and our scouting activities, which we are famous for, led to the signing of some great talents who will soon show what they can do. We parted ways with important players, but we were able to put together a competitive squad, thanks to the signing of some very experienced players.
“At a commercial level, the Udinese brand is constantly growing. We promote the region’s finest exports around the world, but we have also welcomed a company of international standing such as BET 365 Scores.
“In August there was one of the most important moments in club history, when thanks to our modern Bluenergy Stadium we were able to host the UEFA Super Cup, the largest sporting event ever to be held in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. On that occasion, we also organised “an event within the event,” namely a panel on sustainability that featured Michele Uva, Gabriele Gravina and the most important newspapers in the world; we also celebrated our history with legends such as Oliver Bierhoff, Gerard Deulofeu and Gokhan Inler.
“In August we also presented the Udinese squad at Bluenergy Stadium, where the fans’ passion was truly overwhelming, and we started the new season in the best possible way, with a huge win at San Siro over Inter. A few days later, we ended the transfer window with a major signing, with one of the best Italian talents of the past 10 years joining Udinese: Nicolo Zaniolo. It was a major coup that showed what the club and the owners’ ambitions are.
“For the third consecutive year we presented our third shirt at the Milan Fashion Week, a project focused on investing in talent and sustainability. This year too, our Hospitality department, the Udinese Club House, recorded a sell-out, which confirmed the success of a project that has few equals across Europe. In general, Bluenergy Stadium has shown once again that it is a stadium that can attract major events, as we saw with the return of the Italian national football and rugby teams, as will be the case next year too. Over the year we have renovated and enhanced the facilities dedicated to the first team, for our players to be in the best conditions possible. We also had some open training sessions, to build an even closer bond with our fans and strengthen our identity.
“Udinese Calcio has been one of the first football clubs to turn into a fully-fledged media company and right now our openness to the press has few equals. We also have an international communication project that enables us to export our model around the world. We are constantly growing on social media and are always adding new content to our channels.
“Our comprehensive commitment to sustainability has continued, as was shown by the inauguration of the first entirely smoke-free stadium section at Bluenergy Stadium, in collaboration with Marevivo and BAT. Our goal is to make the entire stadium smoke free.
“In November we inaugurated the new Calligaris Family Lounge, an area dedicated to players for their free time and to bond and to families during matches. Still in November Udinese Calcio received the De Sanctis Sustainability Award at Palazzo Chigi, thanks to its innovative, environmentally friendly projects related to Bluenergy Stadium.
“We’re coming off a great win over Napoli, which goes to show the quality of the team. We hadn’t beaten Napoli in nine years, and doing so in a stadium filled with Udinese passion was unforgettable.
“2026 will be a crucial year for us: January will mark the tenth anniversary since Bluenergy Stadium was first inaugurated; May will mark the 50th anniversary of the earthquake in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and we are already working on initiatives related to the commemoration; we have major concerts scheduled in July with Eros Ramazzotti and Vasco Rossi; and most importantly, in November Udinese will turn 130 years old.
“As you can see, Udinese is far more than just a club. Thanks to your professionalism, all of this can be showcased to the world. What’s most important is that we all cooperate at a local level to create a virtuous circle both on and off the pitch, with our distinctive ambition. Happy holidays to all of you.”
Nani: “I firmly believe that results cannot be reached by working alone. The press and all journalists are a crucial element in what we do, and that also includes constructive criticism, which is more important than compliments. There is a great, pro-active atmosphere here at Udinese. Our results are starting to show that what we’re doing pays off, although we’re just halfway through the season. We hope that in June we’ll be able to look back at many achievements.”
Inler: “We’re always happy to talk and exchange ideas with the press. We always give it our all and we’re always sharp. Much has been changed, but the matches are still tough and they are won through teamwork in a supportive environment. The club firmly believes in this. We are ready to take on the rest of the season together.”
Karlstrom: “I want to say thank you for this year’s collaboration; we always try to be open with you. We want to play e matches like we did against Napoli, so that we can all be happy and celebrate in the end. I want to wish all of you and your families Merry Christmas.”
Runjaic: “I am very happy after our win over Napoli and I’m very happy to be here. I want to thank you for our great collaboration and for believing in me. The saying goes, “there’s nothing that is older than yesterday’s success,” so we must continue our journey with confidence, commitment and a positive attitude. I wish all of you happy holidays. Thanks to all of you. We are all a great family.”