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In the latest Serie A news, Udinese Calcio have placed forward Lorenzo Lucca on the transfer list following a controversy during their recent Serie A match against Lecce. This comes after Lucca’s unauthorized penalty kick that has led to a serious internal conflict within the club.
During the match on February 21, 2025, Udinese was awarded a penalty in the 32nd minute. Florian Thauvin, the team captain and usual penalty taker, wanted to take it. Lucca, however, demanded that he take the penalty, and an on-field fight with teammates, including Alexis Sanchez, occurred. Lucca took the penalty after he was booked with a yellow card for his actions. Interestingly, his teammates did not celebrate the goal, and head coach Kosta Runjaic promptly substituted him off the field. During the post-game press conference, Coach Runjaic demanded adherence to team regulations: “We have clear hierarchies for penalty kicks. Lucca made the decision himself, and I preferred to take him off the field after he took the penalty anyway, which he played very nicely.” He continued, “I did this because I don’t like people who do not follow the rules, so I had to do something.”
Following internal talks, Udinese management have put Lucca up for sale. A number of Serie A sides have already expressed interest in acquiring the striker, reports indicate. Lucca, purchased by Udinese in July 2023, has been a regular starter and played a vital part in the team’s season so far this term.
This has been likened to a recent incident with Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, who was openly rebuked by his manager for taking a penalty against team orders. Both episodes highlight the absolutely crucial role that discipline and adherence to team plans holds in professional football.
