In a season marked by the demands and regularity of the Italian championship, Udinese is moving forward with ambition and determination. Between collective solidity, the intensity imposed by Serie A and the gradual integration of new talents, the Friulian club seeks to build a positive and lasting dynamic. It is in this competitive context that Idrissa Gueye, a Senegalese international who played for FC Metz, discovered the very high European level. Hardworking, ambitious and focused on the present, the Udinese player talks about his adaptation, his objectives and his first steps in Italian football, during this exclusive interview. He also looks back on Senegal’s coronation at CAN 2025 after this historic final against Morocco.
“This is not the first time that I cry for Senegal»
French Football Weekly: even if you were not in Morocco, how did you react to Senegal’s CAN victory?
Idrissa Gueye: when I talk about Senegal, I speak from the heart. The CAN, frankly? I was happy. This is not the first time that I cry for Senegal. When we won it in 2021, I cried. This year, when there was Brahim Díaz’s penalty, I cried. And when we won, I cried again. I was so happy. I can’t even tell you how happy I was when we won the CAN.
FM: when Pape Thiaw asked the players to leave the field, how did you take it?
GI: I agreed. If the group agrees, I agree. Afterwards, Sadio asked to come back, but you know, in moments like that, with the nerves, the tension rising, the problems with the referee… it’s normal that they react like that. But hey, in the end, the Good Lord is just and He always does justice.
FM: how do you see the near future? There is a CAN in 2027 and even a World Cup in six months, is that a goal?
GI: yes, it is a goal. I work, but you know, when you don’t have playing time, you can’t go to the selection. You have to continue working to give yourself the opportunity to dream and be part of the list, God willing. For the record, the current coach, Pape Thiaw, is the one who called me for the selection for the first time. If I took a plane for the first time in my life, it was thanks to him, during a friendly pre-selection match in Algeria. If I played for the selection, it’s thanks to him. He knows me well, he watched me when I played in the local championship in Senegal. In any case, I work.
FM: we remember the World Cup where you performed well with the U17 team despite being eliminated in the round of 16.
GI: This World Cup is the best competition I have played in. The life of the group, the staff… It was a family. We lived together so well that neither of us wanted it to end. Even between us, before the elimination, we said to each other while laughing: “if we win the cup, we would like the rally to continue”. It was so good. We wished each other well, we hoped that the other would do the job.
FM: you even played this famous round of 16 against France… A very competitive match
GI: but the match against France, I can say that it was a very good match that we could have won, but we missed a lot up front. You know, it’s destiny, it’s what God wrote. It was written like that. But in any case, it was a great World Cup. I scored a hat-trick against Poland, I have very good memories of it. The Senegalese people were happy, my family too, so that’s the main thing.
FM: there is also the crack Amara Diouf with whom you played. His injury held him back for two years. Do you think he can become a great player?
GI: Amara is already one of the big players. Like I said, what happened to him can happen to anyone. God wrote it. Look at me: I had a double fracture, then I left for six months of rehabilitation in Metz before returning to Senegal. There are friends a thousand times better than me, but they are still in Senegal unfortunately… It is God alone who gives, and He will give you what is best for you. Sometimes you can go for something that isn’t necessarily beneficial for you. When your time comes, it’s okay. But Amara is a really good player, and still is. He believes in himself, so we will pray that he returns to his best level, that he signs a professional contract and that he can help those close to him.
“I am progressing a lot in Italy»
FM: How has your adaptation been going since your arrival in Udine, particularly your relationship with your coach Kosta Runjaić?
GI: I integrated straight away. Things are going very well with my teammates. The city is superb, everything is going very well. Frankly, since my arrival, I have felt good here. The coach talks to me all the time, he helps me a lot. I’m making a lot of progress, so that’s good. I feel good with him, so it’s okay.
FM: what are your personal goals for the rest of the season with Udinese?
GI: firstly, I aim to have a lot more playing time. Then, I also want to score goals, that’s what all the strikers say (laughing, editor’s note). That’s what I’m working on here. Either way, that’s the goal. The coach helps me progress. It’s going to take as long as it takes. That’s the objective. The objective is to have a minimum of playing time, and to have a minimum of 10 or 15 goals. I can say that it is possible, but it takes work.
FM: you played in Ligue 1 previously, what differences do you notice as a striker with Serie A?
GI: here, I can say that it’s a little harder, especially when you’re an attacker. It’s a little harder because there are a lot of things we have to work on. It’s not easy. Here, the defenders are strong, so you have to work hard to guard the middle, to keep the ball, the calls, because the defenders here, they are strong, frankly. That’s why since my arrival, I haven’t stopped working, I work hard, I work. Before and after training. I go to the gym, I do some strengthening. It’s really hard.
FM: how do your French-speaking teammates (Hassane Kamara, Arthur Atta, Oumar Solet, Christian Kabasele, etc.) help you on a daily basis?
GI: It helped me a lot because they also talk to me often. Sometimes I do things and then they come and talk to me: “You shouldn’t do that, you should do this instead“. They also tell me for example: “that’s what we want, it’s better to do that, when you come home, do that“. They help me a lot. Really, they’re cool guys. They are more than brothers. Frankly, I admire them a lot.
FM: can you tell us about your time in Metz?
GI: I arrived in Metz in August 2024 for my rehabilitation. Afterwards, I signed my contract, my first professional contract in January 2025. I spent six months with Metz. The six months that I spent with Metz were incredible because I found my Senegalese brothers. There are some with whom I played with Alpha, Ibrahim, Pape and Malik in Senegal, at Génération Foot. I had some incredible times with them. They taught me a lot of things. They helped me a lot. Honestly, it was… I can’t find the perfect words, but honestly, I was happy with them. It did me good.
FM: How do you see your future today, at Udinese or elsewhere?
GI: For the moment, I am not talking about the future. I’m talking about the present, because I’m in Udine and I like talking about Udine because I want to do something here. If I haven’t done something big here yet, I can’t talk about the future. To talk about the future, you have to do something first. Afterwards, you can talk about the future. Currently, I only want to talk about Udinese. I want to help the team achieve its goals.
