Federico Balzaretti, the sports director at Udinese, has spoken up about the seasons of Samardzic and Lucca with the Udinese club.
On the topic of Samardzic, Balzaretti told Sky, “He is focused on Udinese. He is, and will be, an important asset for the end of the season. We believe in his potential. He is on a growth path that will serve him in the future. Since the summer, he has experienced highs and lows, both emotionally. He is a significant talent.”
When discussing Lucca, he said, “We live for these opportunities. We have been following him since his time at Palermo. It happens to have a fluctuating path. Our merit is to insert ourselves when things are not going particularly well. It was a nice intuition because he is demonstrating his worth. We ask him to stay grounded, but we are satisfied. When a player is sent to the National team, it is a matter of pride. He has hunger and desire. He has earned his place in the National team, now it will be hard for him to keep it, but we wish him luck.”
He also had some words to say about Barone. “It’s a very sad day. I send a big hug to the family of Fiorentina and the family of Joe Barone. We will miss him very much. He is a manager who gave a lot to Florence and Italian football. I was lucky enough to know him and talk to him many times. He did a great job, bringing Fiorentina to the top in Europe. I am convinced he will leave an important legacy. I feel great sorrow.”
