Huge crowds gathered to meet Florian Thauvin and Christian Kabasele in the seaside town of Lignano Sabbiadoro on Thursday evening. The duo were the main attraction at the event organised between Udinese Calcio and the region, in a town that is familiar to both of them.
“It’s the third time I’ve been here,” Thauvin commented. “I’m a big fan. It’s perfect for a family day out and close to Udine. I love coming here.”
Kabasele also took the opportunity to “go to the beach with my wife and children. I really like it here.”
Kabasele also took the opportunity to “go to the beach with my wife and children. I really like it here.”
It was, however, the pair’s first time visiting the Terrazza a Mare restaurant, which Thauvin described as “a lovely place”.
The striker briefly commented on the start of the season: “It’s been a tricky start that we didn’t expect. We could have done a lot better against Juventus. It was a tough defeat.”
However, the team know what they have to do. “We need to pick ourselves straight back up and gain confidence because that’s the only way we’re going to improve. We’re working really hard in this break. The aim is to go to Cagliari ready for battle.”
Speaking in perfect Italian, Kabasele explained: “The team has learnt a lot of things. We have a great chance of winning the next match.”
Despite the weekend break, his mind is focused on landing on Sardinian soil. The game against Cagliari next Sunday is “a very important match. We have to find the formula for scoring goals and bringing home those three points. We’re thinking of it as a final. Not winning for four matches would be tough for our fans.”
The fans were out in force in Lignano, including local Councillor for Sport Giovanni Iermano, who said: “The link with Udinese Calcio is very important. Hosting the Primavera in our facilities is a great pleasure.”
Enrico Guerin, president of Confcommercio, also expressed his happiness: “It fills us with pride to unite sporting excellence with an important town such as Lignano Sabbiadoro. It allows us to show how beautiful our region is.”
Tourism director Massimo Brini harbours no doubts about the region’s beauty: “We’re not just a summer destination. The winter sea is almost even better. We’re open 365 days a year.”