章節 137: Chapter 137: Champions League Qualification
Chapter 137: Champions League Qualification
After Bruno received his medal, it was the turn of Udinese's captain, Antonio Dinatale, to take the stage. Cheers and whistles erupted at the Allianz Stadium in Turin as Dinatale stepped up, and Udinese fans watching on TV couldn't help but cheer as well.
Platini placed the gold medal on Dinatale and then shook hands, exchanging a few words. Noticing Dinatale's gaze fixed on the trophy, Platini laughed heartily and then lifted the trophy with both hands, handing it to Dinatale.
"Congratulations, Antonio, you are the champions of Europe!"
"Thank you, Mr. President."
Dinatale took the trophy and looked around at his teammates who immediately began to chant, "Three, two, one—we are—"
"Champions!" they all roared together.
At that moment, the team captain, Dinatale, raised the trophy high. Behind the podium, countless black and white confetti burst into the air, and black and white ribbons fell from the ceiling of the Allianz Stadium as Queen's "We Are the Champions" began to play triumphantly.
"We are the champions! We are the champions! We are the kings of Europe!"
As the music surged, Bruno looked up at the falling confetti, the ribbons sliding down from the top of the stadium, and the fireworks blossoming overhead. Turning to look, he saw the excited, joyful faces of his teammates—Cancelo "snatching" the trophy from Dinatale, Muriel shouting, Makhrez laughing heartily, and Kante looking on enviously…
.........
The next afternoon, the Udinese players landed at Udine Airport on their chartered plane. The tarmac was a sea of flowers, with hundreds of fan representatives and dozens of reporters waiting.
Bruno and team captain Dinatale, holding the Champions League trophy, followed Coach Guidolin down the stairs. Bruno carried the Coppa Italia trophy, and Dinatale held the freshly won Europa League trophy.
Journalists who had been waiting eagerly swarmed them, cameras flashing wildly. Guidolin gave a speech at the airport, flanked by team captain Dinatale and Bruno, each still holding a trophy.
Later, the entire Udinese team participated in a grand victory parade along Udine's main thoroughfare. Although they had won the Coppa Italia eleven days earlier, the team had not celebrated extensively, partly because they had a Serie A match in less than 48 hours and partly because they were waiting to celebrate after the Europa League final.
The double-decker parade bus traveled from the airport to the city hall, where they were greeted by city officials and dignitaries, and then moved from the city hall square to the Friuli Stadium, where the real festivities began.
It was a night of revelry. Although there was one more league round, for Udinese fans, the celebration had already started, and the upcoming match was merely a festive display.
For the Udinese players, this final match had one more objective: to win and secure a spot in next season's Champions League!
.........
On May 18th, the 2013-2014 Serie A season approached its climax with two much-anticipated matches: Juventus hosting Cagliari and Udinese facing Sampdoria at home.
Juventus kicked off first at 3 PM local time. After 90 minutes of intense play, goals from Pirlo, Llorente, and Marchisio secured a 3:0 victory over Cagliari, raising their season points to 102, surpassing both Barcelona and Real Madrid to set a new record for the highest points in a single season in Europe's top five leagues.
Udinese's match began at 8:45 PM. Being two points ahead of Napoli and behind by 16 in goal difference, Udinese needed a win to secure a Champions League spot for the next season.
In the 10th minute, Gabbiadini's assist allowed Okaka to head the ball into the net, giving the visiting Sampdoria the lead.
In the 26th minute, Dinatale's free kick tied the game, celebrated enthusiastically by Coach Guidolin.
In the 32nd minute, Bruno's midfield pass led to Muriel crossing from the bottom, allowing Dinatale to score with the outside of his foot, giving Udinese a 2:1 lead.
In the 53rd minute, Okaka's through pass was converted by Eder, equalizing the score at 2:2.
Two minutes later, another assist by Okaka enabled Soriano to score from a tight angle, putting the visitors ahead again.
Seeing the perilous situation, Guidolin made substitutions aimed at boosting the attack, betting all on a victory at home.
This change quickly paid off. Five minutes later, Udinese broke through on the right, with Cancelo intercepting a pass and driving down to make a back-pass just outside the box. Makhrez's pass and Dinatale's missed hat-trick opportunity allowed Bruno to score effortlessly, tying the game at 3:3.
Udinese surged with morale, relentlessly attacking Sampdoria's goal. However, the score remained unchanged for a tense duration.
Just when Udinese fans were resigning to a draw and another season in the Europa League, a breakthrough came in the 88th minute. An error by Vrsaljko allowed Dinatale to intercept and score, completing his hat-trick and securing the lead.
This goal led to wild celebrations at the Friuli Stadium and was the final goal of the match.
With Dinatale's hat-trick and Bruno's goal, Udinese narrowly defeated Sampdoria 4:3 at home, ensuring their third-place finish.
Despite Napoli's 5:1 victory over the underdogs Verona, it was in vain.
.........
As the final whistle of the season blew, Juventus topped the Serie A with a record-breaking 102 points. Rome, after a dream start, finished second with 80 points.
Udinese, initially close behind Juventus, ended the season in third place with 76 points, their highest in history, surpassing even their runner-up finish in the 1954-1955 season.
This record season saw Udinese score the most goals and achieve the most wins in their history, securing their spot in next season's Champions League playoffs.
Napoli, Fiorentina, and Inter Milan followed, with Udinese's Coppa Italia win passing the Europa League spot down to sixth-placed Inter.
The season also confirmed the relegation of Catania, Bologna, and Dinatale's former club Novara, with Sassuolo and Chievo securing their Serie A status.
(End of Chapter)
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