Atalanta’s Europa League Final victory will go down in history as one of the greatest team performances in a major European final. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men executed his meticulous plans to the letter.
It was supposed to be Xabi Alonso and Leverkusen’s night. But they were simply outclassed, overawed.
The plaudits from the mainstream media were gushing. The clinical maturity of Ademola Lookman took many by surprise, astonished that a Lambeth boy could go on to achieve such heights after turning his back on the Premier League. There was also a mainstream awakening for the talents of his teammate, Éderson.
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Atalanta’s Éderson covered every blade of grass at the Dublin Arena. Each time Leverkusen took possession, it seemed that the Brazilian was just around the corner, primed to take it back again. He won his duels on the ground and in the air, made clearances and interceptions and lit the touch paper for numerous Atalanta attacks.
Those who have watched Atalanta in recent seasons will not be surprised by Éderson’s masterclass. Out of possession, he is unyielding. Intelligent positioning and phenomenal work-rate define his game. He may not be the fastest over a few yards, but his extraordinary ability to anticipate his opponent and formidable strength mean that he usually emerges from his duels as the victor.
With the ball at his feet, Éderson’s game is about simplicity and consistency. He is the heartbeat of the team. His short passing and ball-carrying in the middle third of the pitch has been the origin of many an Atalanta attack. This season, he has added goals to his game too. There have been seven in total, the result of Éderson taking up more advanced positions as Atalanta swell their forward line.
Brazil coach Dorival Júnior has certainly been paying attention, calling him up to the national squad for this summer’s Copa America tournament. Manchester United, Newcastle, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are all rumoured to be monitoring the player who has been playing in Europe for less than three years.
How did Éderson arrive here?
Born in the interior Brazilian region of Mato Grosso do Sul, Éderson comes from an indigenous bloodline on his maternal side. Éderson has said that these tribal roots, and an impoverished early life contribute to his uncompromising playing style.
When he was 12, his family left for Sao Paulo to pursue his dream of becoming a footballer. His mother told him, “We have enough money to leave, but not to come back”.
His footballing journey began with Desportivo Brasil, a small club playing in the third tier of Sao Paulo state football. A dynamic and tough-tackling young player, Éderson initially alternated between defence and midfield. Recognising his potential, Desportivo’s coaches worked hard to nurture the attacking side of his game to give us the relentless box-to-box midfielder we witness today.
Aged 16, Éderson spent a short loan spell in China with Shandong Luneng, a club in the same ownership group as Desportivo. By the age of 18, his performances in youth football had harboured interest from Cruzeiro. His subsequent move to Belo Horizonte gave Éderson his first taste of Serie A football and a call-up to the Brazilian under-20 team.
Éderson overcame a serious knee injury to establish himself with Cruzeiro. The 2019 season was a breakthrough year on a personal level, becoming a regular starter for one of Brazil’s biggest clubs and scoring his first professional goal. All of this despite the difficult context of Cruzeiro suffering a humiliating relegation for the first time in their 98-year history.
Corinthians were sufficiently impressed to bring the 20-year-old back to Sao Paulo, but after a stop-start 2020 season, he was on the move again. This time, Éderson was loaned out to Fortaleza (Brazilian Serie A) in the north of the country. For the third time in as many years, Éderson was packing his bags and starting afresh in a new city.
It was a testament to Éderson’s character and abundant abilities that, at age 21, he became a crucial component in an over-achieving Fortaleza team. As one half of a double-pivot in the midfield, Éderson helped Fortaleza to fourth place and qualification for the Copa Libertadores.
Embed from Getty ImagesÉderson’s performances had put him onto the scouting radar of Salernitana Sporting Director, Walter Sabatini. Éderson had long dreamt of a move to Europe, but the €6.5 million move in January 2022 carried a significant personal risk for him. Salernitana were mired in a relegation battle. But, as we have now learned, Éderson is never one to shy away from a challenge.
A flurry of signings in the January transfer window and, crucially, the arrival of Davide Nicola saw a change in Salernitana’s fortunes. I Granata survived in Serie A and Éderson emerged from the experience with a much-enhanced reputation. Fifteen games and three months after arriving in Italy, he was drawing admiring glances from Inter and PSG.
However, it was Atalanta who acted decisively in summer 2022, bringing the player to Bergamo for a fee of €22.9 million.
Éderson was not an instant hit for La Dea. Initially deployed in a more advanced midfield role, he took time to adapt to the exacting demands of Gasperini’s system. It was when he reverted to a more familiar defensive midfield slot, typically alongside Marten de Roon, that he really hit his stride.
The 2023/24 season has seen Éderson push on once again, a virtual ever-present for Atalanta in an exhausting season that has seen them reach two cup finals. Éderson’s stellar performance in the Europa League final has seen his value increase further still.
With qualification for the Champions League secured, Atalanta are under no pressure to sell and a fee exceeding €50 million will be required should Europe’s elite wish to prise him away from Bergamo.
Embed from Getty ImagesCover photo: adapted from Paul Ellis/AFP
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