Ruggeri Excited for Aston Villa Challenge in Premier League
Aston Villa’s new signing Ruggeri cut a figure of pure satisfaction as he spoke for the first time as a Premier League player, describing his switch from Atletico Madrid as the next step in a career that has accelerated at remarkable speed.
The 24-year-old left-back, who only joined Atletico last season on a five-year deal, has wasted no time in changing course. Forty-seven appearances, seven assists and a Europa League winner’s medal with Atalanta later, he has landed in Birmingham, convinced he has picked the right project under Unai Emery.
“I am very happy to be here,” he told Villa’s in-house media. “It’s very exciting for me to be part of this club; I can’t wait to meet my new teammates and start this adventure. I was really enchanted by the project of the team, I know it’s a huge league with big expectations, and looking at recent results, I had no doubts about saying yes and being part of this club.”
European-hardened and tactically flexible
Ruggeri does not arrive as a prospect in need of shelter. He comes with Champions League miles in his legs and a reputation as a defender who thrives on high-level demands.
Between Atalanta and Atletico, he has already banked 23 Champions League appearances, adding three assists on Europe’s biggest stage. Those nights have shaped a player comfortable in different systems: he can play as a conventional left-back in a back four or push higher as a wing-back in a five, a versatility Emery values as he juggles domestic and European campaigns.
That tactical flexibility fits neatly with the intensity Villa now live by.
“I’ve definitely watched lots of Aston Villa games,” Ruggeri said. “I was really impressed by the intensity that the coach wants, the quality of the football he demands, and this is why I had no doubts about coming here to begin defending these club colours. Last season was important for me, and I hope to do just as well with Aston Villa, and then win a trophy with this club.”
Chasing Italy recognition
For all his club success, one line is still missing from Ruggeri’s CV. He has been called up by Italy, but the first senior cap remains out of reach.
Winning the 2023-24 Europa League with Atalanta and reaching the Copa del Rey final with Atletico Madrid underlined his pedigree. It has not yet translated into a debut for the Azzurri. The move to England is no accident in that context; it is a calculated attempt to place himself squarely in the sights of the national team staff.
As he spoke about his influences, the roots of his ambition were obvious.
“As a child I really liked Paolo Maldini as a left-back, but over the years I didn’t have a specific player to model myself on. He was the one I looked up to when I was a kid,” he admitted.
Villa Park on his mind
The short-term focus is far more immediate. Villa face Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend before a heavyweight meeting with Arsenal, and Ruggeri could be thrown straight into the action.
He has already done some homework on his new home, not on the tactics board but through the lens of Villa Park itself.
“I saw many videos and photos of the stadium, and I can’t wait to play there, because I saw the fans are incredible. I can’t wait to get to know the atmosphere,” he said.
Villa head into the new campaign buoyed by recent European strides and steady domestic progress. Into that confident, upwardly mobile dressing room walks a European-tested Italian full-back, driven by a childhood idol, a national-team dream and the lure of a packed Villa Park. Now the question is simple: how quickly can Ruggeri turn that excitement into influence on the pitch?
