Udinese bring in Bluenergy for stadium naming rights

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Bluenergy Stadium
Image credit: Udinese Calcio

Serie A side Udinese Calcio and Bluenergy Group have announced that the club’s stadium would be known as Bluenergy Stadium for the next five years.

The Udine-based venue, Italy’s second club-owned stadium after Juventus’ home ground, has established a benchmark among European stadiums while pursuing the unique notion of a football stadium that is open seven days a week.

Bluenergy, the multi-utility firm located in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Udinese, is also announcing the establishment of joint initiatives dedicated to the local region’s environment, people, and economy as their collaboration gets closer. Udinese Calcio, who has flown the Friuli banner across the world for many years, sees their conscience and values represented in Bluenergy’s ownership and administration.

The club’s relationship with the multi-utility corporation, which began in 2018, has already yielded remarkable results in the battle against climate change. Udinese has been named the most sustainable club in Serie A by the Brand Finance Football Sustainability Index 2023, a classification based on ESG factors that has also placed the club in fourth position globally. This was made possible by Bluenergy’s energy efficiency improvements and green electricity, which resulted in a CO2 savings of 4,850.64 tonnes.

Bluenergy have been engaging in sustainable measures for several years and this has seen the company receive prestigious awards such as Sustainability Leader 2023. 

“This long-standing partnership and the rebranding of the stadium are based on common foundations which we’ve shared since day one,” Gianfranco Curti, founder of Bluenergy Group, stated via press release.

“Bluenergy and Udinese are two fantastic exponents of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Both institutions have contributed greatly to the history of this region and are now preparing to continue the march towards a sustainable future with low environmental impact. Bluenergy were founded here and the company have since grown to encompass all of northern Italy.”

Bluenergy Group CEO Alberta Gervasio echoed those thoughts, adding via press release:

”Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of this region’s iconic stadium. The Bluenergy Stadium is a modern and multifunctional structure, designed to be a meeting point for athletes, families, companies and the community in general. We’ve been working with Udinese for a long time and now we’ve decided to further our commitment.”

BluenergyGroup and Udinese Calcio collaborated on the design of the Bluenergy Stadium logo. The font matches Bluenergy’s regular typeface, and the design references the stadium’s diamond shape. As a result, a new, clear, and distinct identity has emerged.  

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Football Queensland Academy leads Northern player development

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Football Queensland

Football Queensland (FQ) has celebrated a successful year of player development in the Northern region across youth and junior football through the FQ Academy.

The FQ Academy is Queensland’s only recognised way for players to achieve state and national team representation and showed significant progress over 2024. The Northern region covers some of Queensland’s rural major hubs, including Townsville, Charters Towers, Ayr and Ingham.

In the Northen region, over 150 players participated in the FQ Acadamy across the U9 to U16 age groups, illustrating the influence of adopting Football Australia’s latest national technical standards.

The success of the FQ Academy in the Northern region was further embellished through the selection of 10 local players in Queensland state teams, to compete at the Girls and Boys National Youth Championships in Melbourne and Wollongong.

FQ General Manager, Football & State Technical Director, Gabor Ganczer, expressed his joy for the achievements in the Northern region.

“2024 has been a tremendous year for football in the Northern region, with significant strides in player development as the FQ Academy continues to play a pivotal role in providing young athletes with access to world-class coaching and competitive platforms that continue to raise the standard of football in the region,” he said via press release.

“The progress seen throughout the region is the result of a sustained, long-term approach to player development, with a focus on upskilling coaches and equipping clubs with the tools and resources they need to ensure all players are supported at every stage of their journey.”  

FQ Senior Manager, Technical (Northern Conference), Michael Edwards applauded the work of the FQ Academy.

“The inclusion of local players in the Queensland state teams highlights the significant impact of the continued investment in Northern football programs, helping to elevate talented athletes to elite levels of competition,” he said in a press release.

“The foundation we’ve laid this year, with the FQ Academy at the forefront, will not only set the stage for greater success in the years to come but also drive the continued growth of football in the Northern region and beyond, ensuring clear and accessible pathways for all players to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.”  

Football Queensland remains committed to developing the level of coaching skill and to enhancing player development in the Northern region in 2025 and beyond.

Premier League’s 3pm Blackout Could End After 60 Years

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Image credit: Premier League

The long-standing 3pm broadcasting blackout for Premier League and EFL matches may soon be a thing of the past.

According to The Sun, the restriction could be lifted within the next five years, potentially reshaping the football viewing landscape in the UK.

The Current Situation

The blackout, which has been in place for six decades, prevents live broadcasting of games played at 3pm on Saturdays.

This rule aims to safeguard attendance at lower-league matches by encouraging fans to watch games in person rather than on television.

The Premier League’s new four-year broadcasting deal, set to begin next season, will maintain the blackout. However, both the Premier League and EFL agreements are scheduled to expire at the conclusion of the 2028-29 season, opening the door for significant changes.

Changing Perspectives

Traditionally seen as essential to protect matchday attendance, the blackout’s relevance is being questioned.

EFL studies suggest that televising matches has minimal impact on crowd numbers, challenging the necessity of the rule.

With a surge in live games on TV and digital platforms, the football community is increasingly debating whether the blackout is outdated.

Currently, the Premier League broadcasts 270 matches per season, leaving 110 games locked behind the blackout, and this has become increasingly controversial with local fans left frustrated at the fact they can’t watch all of their teams games.

Piracy Concerns

The blackout has inadvertently contributed to the rise in illegal streaming. Fans often resort to using devices like “cracked Fire Sticks” to watch Saturday 3pm matches, undermining the very attendance-focused intent of the restriction.

Recently, the Premier League have cracked down on piracy, threatening jail time and/or a large fine for anyone who illegally streams games that are affected by the blackout.

What’s Next?

Although the blackout remains in place for now, its future is under scrutiny. As midweek fixtures are exempt from the rule, every Premier League game this week is available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

The decision to lift the blackout will likely come as part of broader broadcasting negotiations, potentially marking the end of a long-standing tradition and redefining how fans experience English football.

With the rule being considered ‘outdated’ by many, the 2028-29 proposed change comes at the right time. Both the Premier League and the EFL can capitalise on an even bigger national TV rights deal, strengthening both leagues’ finances.

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