According to ANSA, Atalanta midfielder Ederson stated that the team does not consider itself the favorite in the Europa League play-off against Hapoel Tel Aviv, and he also discussed staying with the team, serving as captain, and goals for the new season.
Ahead of the first leg of the UEFA play-off, Ederson said: "We don't consider ourselves the favorites for tomorrow night's game. Hapoel Tel Aviv has already played four games, and they are more prepared than us."
Ederson will captain Atalanta in this match. Speaking about the significance of wearing the captain's armband, the Brazilian midfielder said, "I've been in Bergamo for four years now, and the team has always had four or five key leaders. Pasalic and De Jong are two of them. I'm very proud to be captain, and I'm happy to have ultimately chosen to stay."
This summer, Ederson was close to joining Manchester United, but the transfer reportedly fell through due to problems during his second medical. Regarding this, he said: "I really don't know exactly what happened after I came back from the World Cup. But I want to thank the club and Luca Percassi, who called me many times during the summer, making me feel the team's support."
"After receiving offers from many teams, I realized that staying here was the best option."
Looking ahead to the European campaign, Ederson emphasized that Atalanta's goal is always to win: "We are Atalanta, and we always want to win. Our goal is to respect our opponents and strive to advance to the next round."
He also acknowledged that he and the team still have areas for improvement: "I need to further improve my offensive capabilities, and the team must adapt to the new tactical system. We hope to perform at a high level, but we have the strength to do so."
