When we arrived in Udine it was raining, or rather drizzling. It is still December, Argentina and Leo Messi are not yet world champions, and Serie A, like most other leagues, is experiencing an irritating lull. Even the Dacia Arena is unusually silent, suspended in a metaphysical void that makes the places around it all the more material. One becomes aware of the painstaking work done by the people of Udine and the ownership, which, in addition to having the second most-owned facility in Serie A, has built the entire headquarter made up of training fields, gyms, and offices where all those who make the 'bianconera' club, one of the most modern clubs in Italy, meet every day. But for three seasons now, the Dacia Arena has been the home of Gerard Deulofeu, the protagonist of the seventh episode of More Than. Born in Catalonia and raised in the Masia - Barcelona's academy - Deulofeu has been wearing the Bianconeri jersey since 2020 and ever since that year he wears the very important number 10 on his back.

Compared to his early days, Gerard Deulofeu has now become a veteran and has experienced from inside the changes that football is currently going through. "Football has changed, so much has changed. The footballer today has a different visibility, he is on TV every day, and the arrival of social media has completely transformed the way we communicate. Today we have a very big responsibility, there are new generations who are watching you day by day, and we who are in the elite of football have to set the right example to understand also how many sacrifices there are behind, coming to this level." In short, people today are looking for a sophisticated and elegant character on which to build a narrative, far from the stereotype of the player who has dominated the magazines for years. And this transformation has not only taken place on the surface but also in the Udinese striker's thoughts and head. In response to my question about what football represented for him, a question as simple as "it is complicated for someone who has made the sport his job", Gerard Deulofeu thinks about it for a moment before giving an answer I would not have expected to hear: "Football? Many people would tell you it's everything, but for me it is not. Before it used to be everything, now it is an important part of my life, but over the years I have managed to differentiate and there are many other important things. I am "loco" about football, I look at all the statistics, the numbers, however, you get to a point where you have to detach, you have to have a side life. In my opinion, focusing on family and having the right people next to you is everything, those are goals I try to pursue day by day."

We are used to perceiving a footballer as someone devoted only to the ball, unable to think of anything else, whereas Deulofeu, while still calling himself "loco"- using Spanish to explain himself best - has learned to balance all aspects of his life, both on and off the pitch. From the very first exchange of banter in our conversation, one notices how concrete and well-ordered Gerard Deulofeu is, almost the opposite of how he moves in the green rectangle, where he brings out imagination and strokes of genius. A pragmatism that is also evident in his social profile, where the Catalan player uses a different approach from the norm, not just commenting or celebrating matches, goals, and records. "I like to show another side of myself on social media. For example, after matches I directly want to interact with the people, explain how it went, what I felt and communicate my feelings. I don't like to write '3 more points or a great match,' I want to explain everything because I love football, I like to experience the matches and I think people are interested in that too". In addition to the usual tactical analysis, the business side of the Udinese striker, something rarely seen in a footballer, immediately stands out: "I want to show this passion of mine, several proposals are coming. I don't have a clear goal yet but I'm always looking for a well-organized project, I think that's the important thing".