Eljif Elmas says he can still reach another level after returning to Serie A with Atalanta, following a difficult spell at RB Leipzig and a successful loan at Napoli under Antonio Conte.
The North Macedonia international, who recently turned 27, has won the Super Cup, Coppa Italia and Serie A during his career and is approaching 200 appearances in Italy’s top flight. He has worked under Carlo Ancelotti, Luciano Spalletti, Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri.
“I’m satisfied for now,” Elmas said. “Things could always be better, but sometimes they don’t go exactly as you plan. I still feel I’ve accomplished enough for these 26 years, and I hope to keep going.
“I think I can still reach another level, since I’m still young. Players can reach their prime in their 30s, so I hope to stay healthy.”
Elmas joined Atalanta on a season-long loan from RB Leipzig with an option to buy, after the club beat competition from several European sides. He said the faith shown by sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli and Sarri’s desire to work with him influenced his decision.
“I’ve known the sporting director since my time at Napoli,” said Elmas. “They play the same style of football I played for nearly seven years at Napoli, which is why I chose Atalanta without hesitation.”
The Skopje-born midfielder has made four appearances for Atalanta and was part of the team that beat Bologna with a last-gasp Lazar Samardzic goal at the New Balance Arena. Elmas, who previously played for Napoli and Torino, described Stadio di Bergamo as having the best atmosphere in Serie A.
He has been used on the left of Sarri’s 4-3-3, although he prefers operating as a classic number 10.
“I feel more like a classic number 10, but playing on the left suits me too,” he said. “I might not be as explosive as Vinicius Jr or Kylian Mbappe, but I understand the position and know how to score from there.”
Elmas was a key member of Napoli’s 2022/23 title-winning side under Spalletti, which ended the club’s 33-year wait for the Serie A championship. He recalled Spalletti telling the squad at pre-season that they would become champions.
“Those words gave us the extra energy to step up our work,” Elmas said. “By February, people were already calling us favourites and we had a 20-point lead.”
He also remembers the celebrations in Naples, including a plastic statue of him in a park near his home, supporters bringing food and cakes to his house, and restaurant bills being paid by fans.
Spalletti left Napoli in 2023 and Elmas joined RB Leipzig on a permanent deal until 2028. He made only 297 minutes across 16 league matches in 2024 before returning to Serie A with Torino, where he scored four goals in 13 matches during the second half of 2024/25.
Elmas said his Leipzig transfer was championed by Max Eberl, now sporting director at Bayern Munich, but that he did not feel wanted after Eberl’s departure. He believes he could have succeeded in the Bundesliga had he been given a proper opportunity.
“I know I can adapt to any pace,” he said. “No one can tell me I don’t have the quality to play in the Bundesliga.”
He later returned to Napoli on loan, making 44 appearances in all competitions and helping the club win the Super Cup. Elmas said Conte was the main reason for his return and believes Napoli would have signed him permanently had the manager remained after the 2025/26 season.
“If Conte had stayed, I’m sure I would have been at Napoli now,” he said.
Elmas has spent the past three seasons on loan at three different clubs, but remains open to returning to Fenerbahce, where he played from 2017 to 2019. He says the timing is not right yet because he still wants to prove himself in Europe’s top leagues.
His priorities are to improve his goals and assists, and to represent North Macedonia at a World Cup. He has played at the 2017 European Under-21 Championship and Euro 2021.
“I want to play in the World Cup with Macedonia,” Elmas said. “I hope I won’t end my career until I qualify for a World Championship, even if it happens after I turn 40.”