It is an exciting time to be Gerard Deulofeu. The Spain international is currently playing some of the best soccer of his career and Udinese are on course for their first top half finish in Serie A for 10 years since the 2012-13 season.
Despite a recent winless run of 11 games, the Friulani are eighth and not yet out of the race for European qualification. A sensational run of six consecutive victories from late August through early October made Andrea Sottil's men an early surprise package this campaign. You can catch all of Udinese's action, as well as the rest of Serie A, only on Paramount+.
Speaking exclusively to CBS Sports' House of Champions show, Deulofeu admitted that Udinese's recent form must pick up if they are to hang on to the good position that they have created for themselves at the start of this term.
"It is really exciting," said the 28-year-old. We started really good. Personally, I think that we made an amazing start. Now we are in a period without a win but we are still in a good position so our season is still really good. We must improve, though."
Deulofeu recognized that perhaps the prospect of a return to continental competition for the first time since fifth place in 2012-13 was a factor in this current dip in form and admitted that it has now been put of the squad's minds as they look to climb the table in the coming weeks.
A stilish photo shooting and interview for @nssmag . Very exciting experience 📸 pic.twitter.com/Q5a4kjqn6x
— Gerard Deulofeu (@gerardeulofeu) January 12, 2023
"That was in our minds," said the former Barcelona, Everton, AC Milan, Sevilla, and Watford man. "What happens when you think a lot about that sort of thing is the type of period we are in now. The most important things for us is to think about every game and not about Europe. We also have to understand that our club and our management places great importance on breaking into the top 10. After that, it is really difficult to fight against teams in the top six or seven as they are at a different level."
Despite Udinese's recent struggles to turn draws into wins, they had lost just three times before the break for the FIFA 2022 World Cup and Deulofeu himself ranks high for chances created across Europe with the ball at his feet, and key passes as well as assists (joint third with six) in Serie A. The pass map below shows all his completed passes in blue, with chances created in yellow and assists in light blue.
"I love these sorts of statistics," Deulofeu told House of Champions exclusively. "I love it because statistics like these means something. It means that I can help the team offensively because of the way that I am playing. It is a bit different to last year , but all of these statistics mean really good things for me as I am helping the team to create soccer. The most important thing for me is that these stats prove that I am a guy who creates soccer -- I am happy with that."
Deulofeu's performances are not going unnoticed either with a number of European clubs sitting up and taking notice of him with Unai Emery's Premier League side Aston Villa one of the suitors for the man from Riudaranes as his agent has confirmed.
"It has happened a lot in my career with various transfer windows," admitted the Bianconeri No. 10. "I have learned in soccer and in life that you have to live in the present, think, and be happy. I am here and I am happy. I want to stay here and I do not care about the future. What happens is going to happen but being happy is the most important thing for me and I am happy.
"Udinese is an amazing family organization," he added. "We have lots of really good things and we are very comfortable which means us players can give everything. There are no excuses because the club gives everything to us players and that is why I feel very good. I am really proud to be here. Udinese has spent 28 years in the first division so that means that they are doing things well. This family does some really good things and in my particular case, they have given me a lot of confidence to play and enjoy myself. I am proud to be at this historic Italian club."
Deulofeu is proud of Udinese and the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia but he is equally proud of his Catalan roots and being a graduate of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy despite two separate spells at Camp Nou not quite working out.
"I am so proud to be a Barcelona academy player and I learned a lot in my period there," he said. "I was there for two periods and although it was not really bad, it was not in the best way that we thought it might have been. I just have really good words for Barca and the club now is different to when I was there. Barca was a winning team then and solid in Europe while this Barca is now in transition."
Deulofeu and Udinese will be back in action this Sunday in Serie A at 6:30 a.m. ET and you will not miss a minute thanks to our Paramount+ coverage.
