Chapter 198: FIFA Best XI

Chapter 198: FIFA Best XI

Initially, Salah had no intention of moving to Italy; he preferred to stay at Chelsea. However, his wife, Magi, persuaded him to change his mind. Soon after, Salah agreed to the transfer, even accepting a significant pay cut.

It turned out to be the right decision. The coach valued him highly, allowing him to debut in a crucial moment just three days after joining the team. And Salah did not disappoint, scoring in his first match.

"Mourinho, did you see that? I'm not a flop!" Salah thought as his ecstatic teammates mobbed him on the ground.

In the stands, Udinese fans chanted loudly, "Salah! Salah! Salah!"

On the commentary booth, the local Udinese TV commentator exclaimed, "Salah scores in his debut match for Udinese! He's shown us his speed!"

"Let me formally introduce you to Mohamed Salah, our new number 20. He is a very, very fast striker! He silenced his critics with this goal. Congratulations to Coach Guidolin for his sharp eye!"

Salah's goal put Udinese ahead 3-1.

Roma, unwilling to concede defeat, made several substitutions. Coach Rudi Garcia deployed four forwards in the last twenty minutes, launching a relentless attack on Udinese's goal.

Guidolin replaced the exhausted Di Natale with Panagiotis Kone, an attacking midfielder, to maintain pressure on Roma and keep them cautious in their attacks.

As time passed, Roma's relentless attacks bore no fruit, and their frustration grew.

In the end, at Friuli Stadium, Udinese, with the outstanding performance of substitute Salah, defeated Roma 3-1, securing three valuable points.

Following Udinese's game, Juventus drew 1-1 against Inter Milan at Allianz Stadium.

After the 17th round of Serie A, the updated standings were as follows:

Udinese: 14 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss, 44 points

Juventus: 11 wins, 5 draws, 1 loss, 38 points

Roma: 11 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses, 36 points

Lazio: 9 wins, 3 draws, 5 losses, 30 points

Napoli: 8 wins, 6 draws, 3 losses, 30 points

The season was nearly halfway through. Juventus, last season's champions with a record 102 points, were six points behind Udinese, shocking many.

Those following Udinese knew their success was no fluke. After 17 rounds, Udinese had faced all top-half teams except Sassuolo and relegation-threatened Cagliari. They had beaten most of these top-half teams, with only Genoa narrowly defeating them and Juventus and Fiorentina managing draws.

With 44 points from 17 matches, Udinese's average of 2.59 points per game was impressive. Among Europe's top five leagues, only Bayern Munich had a higher average.

In the Premier League, Chelsea and Manchester City both had 46 points from 20 matches, averaging 2.3 points per game.

In La Liga, Real Madrid led with 39 points from 16 matches, averaging 2.44 points per game.

In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich led with 45 points from 17 matches, averaging 2.65 points per game.

In Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain had 41 points from 19 matches, averaging 2.16 points per game.

Udinese's impressive performance started drawing global attention. Betting companies now considered Udinese the top contender for the Serie A title.

Four days later, in Serie A's 18th round, Udinese faced Sassuolo away at Mapei Stadium, securing a 2-1 victory.

In their second Serie A season, Sassuolo performed well, with 5 wins, 8 draws, and 4 losses, placing them tenth with 23 points.

Against Udinese, Sassuolo started strong. In the 15th minute, Vrsaljko's cross was headed in by Zaza, giving Sassuolo a 1-0 lead.

But Udinese, in great form, equalized within 11 minutes. In the 26th minute, Bruno's through ball found Théréau, starting in place of the flu-stricken Di Natale, who turned and shot to equalize.

The teams went into halftime tied at 1-1.

In the second half, Udinese increased their attacking intensity, taking the lead in the 67th minute. After Kanté intercepted the ball in midfield, Bruno broke through on the left and chipped the ball forward. Salah, seven meters from goal, volleyed it in.

The 22-year-old newcomer had now scored in consecutive Serie A matches since joining Udinese.

Despite Juventus defeating Napoli 3-1 at the Diego Maradona Stadium the next day, Udinese maintained a six-point lead at the top of Serie A.

On January 12, at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala took place.

Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo retained the Ballon d'Or, marking his first consecutive wins. Despite high expectations, German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer finished a close third, with Messi narrowly ahead in second place by a mere 0.04%.

Ronaldo's 2014 performance was exceptional, scoring 61 goals and providing 22 assists in 60 appearances. He helped Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey, the Champions League, and the Club World Cup.

Ronaldo dominated direct encounters with Messi's Barcelona and Neuer's Bayern Munich, securing the Ballon d'Or with 37.66% of the vote, far ahead of Messi (15.76%) and Neuer (15.72%). Unlike the tight 2013 vote, Ronaldo's 2014 victory was decisive.

Winning his third Ballon d'Or, Ronaldo surpassed legends like Di Stéfano, Beckenbauer, Keegan, Rummenigge, and Ronaldo, equaling three-time winners Cruyff, Platini, and Van Basten. Only Messi, with four Ballon d'Ors, stood ahead.

With his current form, Ronaldo had a strong chance of continuing his streak into 2015.

Bruno finished 11th in the final vote, receiving 1.11% of the votes, earning a place in FIFA's World XI as a right midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation, alongside Di María and Kroos.

Bruno attended the ceremony, becoming one of the event's highlights. Despite not making the top ten, the 20-year-old was recognized for his immense potential.

On January 14, Udinese faced Napoli at the Diego Maradona Stadium in their first Coppa Italia match of the season.

With a six-point lead in Serie A, Guidolin saw a realistic chance of winning the league title and decided to prioritize it. He rested key players, including Bruno, and fielded a reserve team for the cup match.

In a game neither team seemed eager to win, the match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes. In extra time, both teams scored again, leading to a penalty shootout.

Napoli won the shootout 3-2, advancing to the Coppa Italia quarterfinals with a 5-4 aggregate score.

However, Udinese had no regrets, while Napoli faced mixed feelings about their victory.

Napoli, also in the Europa League knockout stage, aimed to win the tournament and secure a top-three Serie A finish for a Champions League spot. With little interest in the Coppa Italia, they now faced the prospect of further cup commitments.

(End of Chapter)

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