Rui Patrício makes it a ten on the transfer market
With the Portuguese goalie and Carnesecchi, the Nerazzurri surely are in good hands
Atalanta BC are glad to announce that goalkeeper Rui Pedro dos Santos Patrício, more commonly known as Rui Patricio, will don the black-and-blue shirt in the 2024/25 season on a one-year deal. During the course of his extensive and illustrious career the 36-year-old Portuguese goalie can flaunt over 700 Club appearances and 100 International caps as a Portugal representative, having lifted the EURO 2016 and the 2018/19 UEFA Nations League trophies whilst guarding the Lusitanian goal.
After coming through Lieira and Mazzares' Youth Systems, Rui joined the Academy of Sporting Clube de Portugal, aged 12, where he rose up the Alcochete's ranks all the way to his Senior debut as a Sportinguista aged 18. His debut surely brought on a tenure of personal and collective satisfaction: in his years for the Lisboeta Club, Rui Patricio guarded the green-and-white goal for 466 games, ensuring 182 clean sheets, lifted 7 titles (3 Portuguese Cups, 3 National Super Cups and 1 Taça da Liga), whilst also becoming the Club's all-time record man for most UEFA competition appearances (93). His stay at the Leões also coincided with his major personal honours: namely, reaching third place in the IFFHAS standing in 2016 and featuring in the 30-player list for the Ballon d'Or.
Bringing his 12-season tenure as a white-and-green to its close in 2018, Rui crossed the Channel to embark on new professional endeavours in the EPL: upon completing a permanent move to Wolverhampton, the Portuguese keeper defended the Wolves' shirt until 2021, crossing the 100-Premier-League-appearances mark (stopping the count at 112 to be exact) and reaching the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals in 2020 in the meantime.
By switching the West Midlands' Wolves for Roma upon completing a permanent move to the Capitol Club in the summer of 2021, Rui Patrício can also flaunt a wealth of experience in the Serie A: in his three seasons as a Giallorosso, he played 129 games overall, of which 96 appearances in the Italian top-flight division, held a key role in the UEFA Conference League triumph in 2022 and neared the UEFA Europa League title the following season.
Likewise, also his tenure as a Portugal representative proved itself long and distinguished: after representing his home country with all Under National sides from the U16s and featuring in an Under-20s World Cup, Rui eventually made his Senior debut in November 2010, when, aged 22, he featured for the Lusitan side in the hosts' 4-0 win in the international friendly played against Spain.
In 2016 he etched his name in the history books of Portuguese football by lifting the Euros. A household name of the Portuguese starting XI in the pageant, not only did he start all the games but he also proved himself decisive in several occasions: from taming Poland's fifth penalty in the quarter-final and keeping a clean sheet in the semis against Galles to nullifying France's attempts in the tournament's Grand Finale (including his outstanding display on Griezmann, to which a statue was erected in Marrazes, Rui Patrício's hometown, in the municipality of Lieira). Thanks to his performances in the 2016 European championship, he earned a spot in the tournament's Top 11. In 2019 he won his second Continental title with Portugal after defeating The Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League's final.
In summation, Rui represented Portugal in 3 World Cups and 5 Euros and became the Lusitans' most-capped goalkeeper with 108 games.
The Percassi and Pagliuca families and the whole Club would like to extend a warm welcome to Rui and wish him the best of luck in his future personal and team endeavours as a Nerazzurro.