From a wonderkid to a Serie A champion - just hours separated Eljif Elmas from blowing out his birthday candles, and it felt only natural to begin the interview by asking whether the now 27-year-old is happy with his career so far.
"Tomorrow is a special day, everyone sees it that way when it's their birthday, but looking at my career up to this point, naturally, there were downs, but there were good moments too," he begins.
"For now, I'm satisfied. Things could always be better, and I think they could have gone much better, but sometimes things don't go exactly as you plan. Still, I feel that I've accomplished enough for these 26 years, so I hope to keep going.
"I think I can still reach another level, since I'm still young. You see players reaching their prime in their 30s, so I hope to stay healthy, and we'll see how things unfold."
With Super Cup, Coppa Italia and Serie A titles, and close to reaching the landmark of 200 appearances under Carlo Ancelotti, Luciano Spalletti, Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri in Italy's top flight, it is fair to say the North Macedonia international is humble about his achievements, reflecting his well-mannered and ambitious personality.
Now, Elmas is into his eighth Serie A season, playing for his third different Italian club after Atalanta signed the midfielder on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy from RB Leipzig, fending off competition from a host of other European clubs.
When quizzed about his decision to join La Dea, the number 99 explains: "To be honest, the faith shown by the sporting director (Cristiano Giuntoli) and the fact that the coach (Maurizio Sarri) really wanted me gave me a great boost.
"I think it's a good move for me. I believe I can become the player I'm meant to be here. I believe I can give my absolute best and bring out the very best in myself. I feel that this is the right club for me at the moment; that's why I chose Atalanta because it has a highly experienced coach.
"I've known the sporting director since my time at Napoli, and he brings a special kind of energy. 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 is still adjusting to life in Bergamo, but admits the Balkan core of the dressing room is helping him settle in quickly, with the Nerazzurri featuring at least one player from each of the former Yugoslavia countries.
"It made things much easier for me. As soon as I arrived, all the guys from let's call it Yugoslavia helped me out right away. It was much easier because I speak Serbian as well, and all the other languages too.
"So, it was naturally much easier, and we do socialise off the pitch too. They're all great guys, but the other players accepted me very well too as I've been there (in Italy) for quite a few years now. Everyone in Italy knows me; I speak Italian, so adapting was much easier than I expected."
The midfielder made four appearances in the Black and Blues shirt ahead of the international break and already experienced the New Balance Arena in full flow when Lazar Samardzic scored a last-gasp winner against Bologna a few weeks ago, but the former Napoli and Torino player was not surprised by the electric scenes and describes Stadio di Bergamo as the best atmosphere in Serie A.
"It was a great feeling. I've played against Atalanta plenty of times before, but being part of the team makes it special and scoring a winning goal in stoppage time makes the feeling even better.
"So, a great goal and an amazing eruption of energy in the stadium. I was really glad we won, those three points were crucial for us. Atalanta was always the toughest place to go. To be honest, matches against teams like Napoli and Atalanta were among the hardest I played in Serie A.
"Of course, there are other tough games too like Inter, AC Milan, Juventus and Roma. For example, take the recent match against Roma."
In Italy, Elmas is regarded as a tactical joker due to his versatility and ability to play in multiple positions, both in midfield and attack, and Atalanta's head coach, Sarri, is deploying the attacking midfielder as a left winger in a 4-3-3 formation, a position suiting Elmas, although the advanced playmaker role remains his favourite.
"The 4-3-3 formation suits me fine, I played on the left in my youth days and later as a classic number 10, so if I had to choose my favourite position, the latter works better for me. I feel more like a classic number 10, but playing on the left suits me too.
"I'm perfectly comfortable playing on the left, and I might not be as explosive as Vinicius Jr or Kylian Mbappe, but I understand the position well, and I know how to score goals from there. In fact, almost all my goals have come from that spot.
"So, playing on the left is fine by me, though if I had to pick a position, I'd prefer to play as a classic number 10. However, number 10s are rare these days, so it's harder to find a system that accommodates that role nowadays."
Serie A title and working under Conte
Espresso, pizza and football perfectly capture the vibrant city of Naples and the busy streets filled with hot-blooded Neapolitans, and Elmas played an important role in helping Naples erupt in jubilant celebrations in May 2023.
With that being said, the Macedonian was a key part of Napoli's iconic squad led by Spalletti back in 2022/23, which lifted the Serie A title for the first time in 33 years, and the energetic midfielder vividly remembers the season-defining moment of the historic campaign.
"The thing that left the biggest impression on me right from the start was when we arrived for pre-season training. He (Spalletti) came up to us and said, 'Listen, last year we finished third, but this year I don't want to finish second, third or fourth. This year, I want to be a champion. We will be champions.'
"At times, even we didn't believe we would become champions because winning the league with Napoli after 33 years is incredibly difficult, but that was the moment we all started to believe. His words gave us that extra energy to really step up our work.
"Sometimes, he was even, dare I say, annoying about that during training sessions, but you only realise later, after he's gone, how much that actually helps you reach a certain level. There were so many great moments in 2022/23; by February, people were already calling us favourites, and we had a 20-point lead. There were just so many moments, I don't even know where to start.
"Then in April, they put a statue of me where I lived, one of those plastic ones, you know, in a large park near my place, and right at the entrance, there was a statue of me. They (the fans) were preparing for the trophy lift. Everything in Naples was truly special. Every week people would come to my house bringing cakes and all sorts of food. Wherever I went to a restaurant, everything was already paid for. You couldn't easily go out for a walk, that year was just surreal."
After winning the Scudetto, Spalletti left the helm in the summer of 2023, and Elmas followed the Italian coach through the door a few months later by joining RB Leipzig on a permanent deal until 2028.
However, the move to Die Roten Bullen did not turn out as planned, and with just 297 minutes played across 16 league matches in 2024, the midfielder returned to Serie A and spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan, successfully rediscovering his form at Torino by scoring four goals in 13 matches.
"Honestly, I don't know if I've ever been asked about this or whether I've mentioned this to anyone, but I was personally selected by Max Eberl. He's the sporting director at Bayern Munich now, and he actually came to my home twice with Rouven Schroder and another director as well.
"It was they who insisted on my transfer, and at that moment, I don't think I was a player the coach (Marco Rose) wanted; I was a player that the sporting directors wanted. By the time I arrived in Leipzig, Max had already left for Bayern Munich. After a conversation with the coach, I turned to my mother and said, 'Listen, this could turn out much, much worse than I expect'.
"She still brings it up sometimes, asking if I remember saying that. I had a feeling, a vibe, that the new sporting director didn't actually want me there. I realised later that was indeed the case; as soon as they parted ways with the sporting director (Eberl), the new one called me the very next day to tell me I had to leave. Maybe there was an issue with the coach, or I don't know, but there's no point in dwelling on it now."
The highly-regarded sporting director, Eberl, is one of the architects behind the current Bayern Munich's star-studded and world-class squad led by Vincent Kompany, with the likes of Michael Olise and Luis Diaz among other players joining the reigning Bundesliga winners during his tenure.
Furthermore, Elmas continues on why the Bundesliga was his preferred choice to continue his career upon leaving Naples: "I chose the Bundesliga because I wanted a change of scenery and wanted to see what it would be like.
"Sometimes things don't go as planned in another league, though I do hear people say things like, 'He doesn't have the quality to play in the Bundesliga,' and so on. That's just talk. I saw it for myself, during training and matches, how they play (in Germany). I believe that if I had been given enough of a chance, I would have been a perfect fit for that league.
"That's why I chose it, I knew that I could play not just in the Bundesliga, but in any top league, because I know what kind of player I am. I know I can adapt very easily to any pace, since I'm always at peak physical fitness. But regarding that stint at Leipzig, I don't know what to say. Things just didn't quite click, I suppose.
"I think I'm ideally suited for the Bundesliga because the style of play is similar to Turkey. In my opinion, there's no difference. When I played in Turkey, I played alongside Robin van Persie and big-name players like Roberto Soldado, Vincent Janssen, Mathieu Valbuena and Mauricio Isla. No one can tell me I don't have the quality to play in the Bundesliga.
"After that, I went to Napoli, I played alongside Kevin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay, Stanislav Lobotka, and various other quality players. So, no one can tell me I can't play in the Bundesliga. If I wasn't good enough to play in the Bundesliga with Leipzig, I wouldn't be able to play at Napoli either."
With Elmas' career at a crossroads in the summer of 2025, the Conte-led Napoli called, expressing interest in re-signing their former player on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy, and Elmas returned to his beloved Naples, proving his quality once again and impressing the Italian coach by making 44 appearances across all competitions, helping the Partenopei lift the Super Cup last season.
"To be honest, I did expect to stay at Napoli (beyond 2025/26) because there had been talk since March that they would sign me permanently and all that, but in the end, things happen the way they do.
"When May arrived, I realised I might have to make a change and move somewhere else again. I had a great season at Napoli, I played 44 matches. It's an honour to play 44 games under a coach like Antonio Conte, being able to say you played 44 matches for him is significant.
"That's exactly why I chose to return to Napoli, because of Antonio Conte. I wanted to work with an expert like him again, and as it turns out, I'm lucky enough to be working with another top coach this year in Maurizio Sarri."
Conte departed Napoli after finishing as runners-up at the end of the 2025/26 season, and when asked if Elmas believes the Blues would have pursued a permanent deal to sign him if the Italian coach was still at the helm, the unequivocal answer is: "Yes, and it would have been my seventh season (in Naples). If Conte had stayed, I'm sure I would have been at Napoli now."
Potential Fenerbahce return
With Elmas spending each of the past three seasons on loan at three different clubs, which the 27-year-old admits is not easy or ideal for any player's development, naturally, the rumours are always in full swing, and the massive contingent of Fenerbahce supporters are flooding the internet asking for his return to Istanbul, where the midfielder spent a couple of seasons as a teenager from 2017 to 2019 before his move to Napoli.
"Fenerbahce was a crucial starting point for me, though that first year was very difficult. My second year was amazing. When you look back, not just anyone could play for Fenerbahce at that young age, if I were to count them on one hand, it would be Salih Ucan, myself, Arda Guler, and Ferdi Kadioglu.
"There are more young players now. That was the period when young players started rising up and were getting pushed into the spotlight. I think that's why I left a bit of a lingering feeling because I left so early. Maybe I left the fans wanting to see me again, but I always say I want to return one day, though I don't need to specify exactly when or how.
"We've discussed my return with the club a few times, but I don't think the moment is right yet, I believe I can still play in Europe's top leagues and prove myself at the highest level."
Besides his desire to return to Fenerbahce one day, Elmas aims to improve his individual stats this season, especially goals and assists, while his ultimate career dream is to lead the Macedonian national team at a World Cup.
Last but definitely not least, the 27-year-old is not short of ambition or confidence when it comes to his targets, and judging by his words, he will not stop or hang up his boots until some, or all of them, come true.
"I want to play a full season and see where I stand statistically. Because if you look at my stats, they aren't quite where they should be. That's the only thing missing for me. My statistics are a major issue. If I could solve that statistical problem, people would be talking about a different player.
"That's why I think I need to improve my stats first, so later on, the conversation can shift to a different Eljif. I have no doubts about my quality, as I know exactly what I'm capable of.
"Also, it has always been my dream to play in the World Cup with Macedonia. I've played in the 2017 European Under-21 Championship, then the European Championship in 2021, so the World Cup is my ultimate goal, but naturally, Macedonia needs to keep progressing year by year.
"We shouldn't focus solely on the World Cup, we need to look ahead to the European Championship (2028) first, and then the World Cup will follow. As long as I'm fit and my legs hold up, I'll always give my absolute best, my goal will always be to play in the European Championship and the World Cup for as long as I possibly can.
"And I hope I won't end my career until I qualify for a World Championship, even if it happens after I turn 40," Elmas ends.
Filip Mishov is a freelance journalist, media and PR specialist recognised for his storytelling, with a decade-long career of working with the world's leading media outlets and focused on conducting exclusive interviews for Flashscore with high-profile athletes from across the globe. You can follow him on X or LinkedIn.