Teun Koopmeiners: Atalanta's Versatile Cog in Midfield

At 26 years of age, Teun Koopmeiners has established himself as one of the Netherlands' finest central midfielders and a vital cog in Gian Piero Gasperini's system at Atalanta. His breakout campaign came in 2019/20, operating alongside fellow academy graduates like Myron Boadu, Calvin Stengs, and Owen Wijndal and excelling in the center of the pitch for Arne Slot's AZ Alkmaar.

https://twitter.com/BTLvid/status/1779899996705321328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Once regarded as one of the finest young center forwards in European football, Myron Boadu finds himself at a crossroads at 23 years of age.Having struggled to convince at Monaco, can Boadu rekindle his form on loan at Twente?@ZachLowy on Boadu: https://t.co/e4CSTIQqfbpic.twitter.com/dfBoOaUd1M— Breaking The Lines (@BTLvid) April 15, 2024

Just two days after turning 22, Koopmeiners played a 70-meter pass to set up Oussama Idrissi's second goal in a 2-0 victory vs. Ajax, with AZ going level on points with league leaders Ajax. One week later, he scored a brace in a 4-0 victory against ADO Den Haag. And yet, as AZ were challenging for their first league title in 11 year, the COVID-19 pandemic brought European football to a pause and prompted the Eredivisie to abandon the campaign with eight matches left.