A New Chapter Begins

Alaba—a bombshell has Udinese dreaming!

David Alaba continues his career in Italy’s Serie A.(Bild: AP/AP, Gazzetta dello Sport)

Today, Thursday, marks the start of a new chapter in David Alaba’s illustrious career, as the four-time Champions League winner is set to sign a contract with Udinese Calcio. At 34, he’s taking on the challenge of Serie A, with the goal of bringing more stability to a defense that has struggled at the start of the season. The Austrian national team defender is set to make his debut on October 12 in an away game against FC Turin. 

The “Gazzetta dello Sport” describes it as a “sensational move,” very much in the style of Udinese Calcio—with their usual discretion and, to the outside world, in absolute silence. The signing of David Alaba brings back memories in Friuli of prominent transfers from the past, foremost among them that of Zico in 1983. After completing his medical exam in Rome on Wednesday, the 34-year-old traveled directly to Udine, where he met at the San Michele restaurant with coach Kosta Runjaic—a native of Vienna who also speaks perfect German—and the club’s leadership.

Alaba is expected to bring a breath of fresh air
Expectations for the ÖFB team captain are high: With four points from its first five games and a 13th-place standing, Udinese has had a mixed start to the Serie A season, showing weaknesses particularly on defense. Before the season began, Runjaic had set a goal of conceding no more than 38 goals. In other words, one goal conceded per game. After five matches, the ball has already found the net 11 times against German-born goalkeeper Maduka Okoye—an average of 2.2 goals per game. This was due not only to coordination issues but also to the absence of one or two key players.

Alaba will bring his experience as a leader and is expected to help quickly stabilize the defense—because the team certainly has potential. This was evident at the start of the season in the 1-1 draw against Como, as well as in the recent goal-fest at San Siro Stadium: After taking a 2-0 lead, Nicolo Zaniolo and his teammates ultimately fell to reigning champions Inter Milan 3-5. From 2011 to 2013, Udinese—led by star striker Antonio Di Natale—made a splash in the league, finishing fourth, third, and fifth.

Since then, however, they have never managed to break into the top 10 again. Last season, they ultimately finished in 13th place. This, however, is consistent with their market value: Udinese currently ranks 14th with a squad value of 156 million euros—their most valuable player is former Salzburg player Oumar Solet, with a market value of 20 million euros. He will be part of the planned three-man backline alongside Alaba. “Alaba’s surprising transfer is a wonderful gift for Udinese fans, letting them dream of something big again,” writes the “Gazzetta,” which considers it entirely possible that the Viennese player will spark a new wave of enthusiasm in Friuli.

The “Gazzetta” writes of a “wonderful gift for Udinese fans.”(Bild: Gazzetta dello Sport)

Debut in Turin
Above all, we hope that Austria’s most successful soccer player of all time stays healthy: Last season, Alaba missed a total of 15 games for Real Madrid due to calf problems; for the “White Ballet,” he ultimately made 11 league appearances in the 2025–26 season, totaling 421 minutes of playing time. The player with 117 caps for the Austrian national team is set to make his debut for Udinese in the first league match after the international break, when they face fellow mid-table side FC Turin on the road on Monday, October 12. Two home games follow: first against Lecce on October 18, and a week later against AC Milan, which will feature an emotional reunion with Luka Modric, his former teammate at Real Madrid.