When building a football team, performance on the field is crucial, but so is impact off the field. For Udinese, who are looking to improve their standing in Serie A for a third consecutive season, they will also look to make history against Cagliari on Saturday in a bid to do so. In partnership with UEFA, the Serie A team will become the first team to use the Football Sustainability Handbook when staging a football match and will use this match as a benchmark for how they can implement more sustainable practices in the future.
The Italian team is already at the forefront of sustainable football practices, as the club ranks high in the Sustainability Index and the Bluenergy stadium is equipped with solar panels that also power Campo’s energy, a renewable energy community that is the first of its kind in Italian football. While sustainability is important, how fashion has helped Udinese further down this path is an interesting story.
How to watch Udinese vs Cagliari odds
date: Saturday 19th September | time: 9 a.m. ET
Place: Blue Energy Stadium – Udine, Italy
live streaming: Paramount+
Odds: Udinese +125; Draw +230; Cagliari +230
“Six years ago, there was a big movement in the fashion world, you know, trying to be sustainable, using sustainable materials. So I said, why don’t we use football to send a message, you know? Because we all agree that football is a great way to influence not just fans, but the culture as a whole,” club executive Magda Pozzo told CBS Sports.
With MLS taking advantage of the winning streak, the fashion aspect and ensuring they use sustainable practices in their jerseys has gone global, but similar to how Udinese as a team want to ensure they support young talent, they also want to do the same with designers. Three years ago they started a project with Milan Fashion Trust to have their third kit designed by an up-and-coming designer, which was a great way to ensure they had a unique look while also attracting young designers. The focus on what might work in the future is similar to this game, and Udinese will be able to figure out what works and what doesn’t.
“It’s not just about delivering the practices, it’s about getting the data and monitoring the practices. That’s really important for us, you know? Because up until now, we’ve probably been very excited and willing to introduce practices all the time, and now is the time where we want to monitor them and get accurate feedback on what’s good and what doesn’t make sense for us to continue to implement,” Pozzo continued.
From a viewing perspective, this match will look similar to the standard match, but for those watching live Paramount+Before the game, the lineup of players and mascots will see bicycles accompanying children on the field. This is intended to show a bit of initiative for fans to cycle to the stadium, while also providing designated buses for fans when this is not possible. Cycling to a match is a fan experience at other clubs around the world, but this way of highlighting it in the pre-match ritual is a little different. From adding more vegan and vegetarian options to our match day menus, to even ensuring the food is only sourced locally, no expense is spared. Depending on the outcome of the game, it could have a significant impact on how teams are given material moving forward, which is why the results that will be shared by clubs will be as important as the experience in this unique setup.