Christian – Athletico Paranaense’s midfield maestro
Chrisitan Roberto Alves Cardoso or simply Christian was a late bloomer in terms of academy development as at 14, he was working as a mechanic rather than plying his trade in an academy. As a youngster, he had to to take a bus from Marmeleiro to Francisco Beltrao to attend training with no way of getting home as he would have to hitch a ride as his parents underwent serious financial issues. He was originally born in Sao Paulo but would be forced to move to Marmeleiro after his grandfather died of cancer and his parents moved to the southwest of Parana in search of gainful employment. The 20-year-old has overcome those issues and is now one of the leading lights of an Athletico Paranaense side which has been steered by as many as three coaches this season.
Christian was playing “Project Athletes of the Future” development system in Francisco Beltrao as he played in a tournament where he was invited to the Chapocoense Under 13 side where he would only play there for seven months as his parents were unable to move closer to the academy as he was too young to live in Chape alone. At 14, he was working as a mechanic for two years with his brother who is nine years older than him before rededicating himself to football with the Uniao PR Under 17 side. After years of hardship, Christian found a stroke of luck or divine intervention as he travelled to Parana to play Coritiba and Parana Clube in a tournament where he was scouted by Athletico Paranaense who invited him to train with the club before he signed in February 2017.
He would play with the Under 17 and Under 20 sides as he was a State Champion with the Second Team in 2019 before being loaned out to Juventude where he only managed two games as he has now developed into one of the first names on the team sheet for a side which is moving further away from the lower reaches of the Brasiliero Serie A. Christian is integral as a press resistant box-to-box midfielder who drops deep to receive possession from the centre-back with innate movement into space in between the lines before working combinations to help his side create opportunities.
In a home match against Chilean side, Colo Colo in the Copa Libertadores, the left-sided centre-back had possession of the ball as the young midfielder scanned to find he had a marker behind him before dropping into the space available and receiving possession to play a one-touch pass on the turn to a teammate before continuing his run to receive possession and look to play a slide -rule pass in behind for a teammate which was intercepted. It was one of many instances where his movement, interpretation of space and his teammates and movement in between the lines allowed him to speed up transition at pace to help create an opportunity for his side.
Earlier, he utilized his movement to be crucial in his side’s second goal as he was positioned in acres of space in the left zone before the right centre-back played a pass to his partner who shifted the ball to the left-back. Christian dropped into the left half-space to attract a marker before the left-back worked a pass to a higher midfielder who laid off a pass for Christian to take a touch and work a through ball with the outside of his right-boot to a midfielder making a run into the box who had a shot saved for a defender to divert the rebound into the goal. Under Eduardo Barros, who was a former assistant of Fernando Diniz as well as an experienced youth coach who worked with Christian at youth level, Athletico Paranaense favoured a more proactive style predicated on the 20-year-old midfielder moving to search for the ball in build-up.
Athletico Paranaense were circulating the ball in build-up as Christian was in the eight-space as when the centre-back pushed up or moved the ball, that would act as the trigger for the young midfielder to drop into space or he would push up to receive a lay-off or a ball into the channels. Against Colo Colo, he would drop into a centre-back position to receive the ball from the keeper, turn and lob a pass for a teammate in between the lines to evade pressure. In the second-half, Christian would be in the ten space before dropping into the half-space before receiving the ball on the swivel to thread a pass to overlapping fullback, Abner Vinicius for a cross.
The young midfielder thrives at moving in between the lines to receive possession before threading progressive passes to teammates in the pockets. At home to Coritiba, he moved in between the lines and working passes with his first touch to speed up the build-up phase and attract pressure before moving into space to receive possession and transition play to the attacking phase. In one instance, he received possession, turned and played a pass to a teammate while holding off a marker.
Christian was playing as central striker with Fabinho as he was tasked with holding up play and linking possession in the final third. He also managed to win fouls and drop deeper to work connections with teammates as he laid off a pass to a teammate making a run into the centre. His movement and runs to create space and receive possession was impeccable as well as Paulo Henrique played the ball to him as he held the ball before releasing possession to a teammate in the channels for a cross to Fabinho as the winger failed to get proper purchase on the ball.
In a 0-0 draw against Jorge Wilstermann in the Copa Libertadores, he started the game by receiving a pass in between the lines to turn and drive the ball forward before winning a free-kick on the edge of the opposition box. He received possession on the edge of the box to turn and work a pass to the flank which led to a blocked cross. The 20-year-old’s passing is crisp and precise as he is aware of his surroundings and assured in his decision making in playing the one-touch pass, flick-on or spinning past pressure to drive the ball into the opposition half.
Christian thrives as a well-rounded, press-resistant box-to-box midfielder as he can situationally drop into the six-space in passing sequences to turn and work the ball forward or switch the ball to the flank. He can receive possession in between the line to work rapid one-touch passing sequences while moving into spaces as a passing option to add security and continuity to his side’s play. In the final third, he is a gifted through ball passer as he can thread perfectly weighted and arced passes onto the toes of his teammates in stride while being good at switching the ball or working crosses from the half-space. He has been one of the revelations of the Brasiliero Serie A this season as teams will be interested in him as a cost-effective option.
From working as mechanic from the ages of 14 to 16, Christian is now thriving at the highest level in Brazil as his story of grit and persistence is humbling. The biggest facet of his game is his football intelligence as he thrives as a box-to-box midfielder with the creative freedom to move into the final third and connect play with intelligent movement and passing interchanges in between the lines. Athletico Paranaense recently extended his contract till December 2024 as they will be able to demand a higher fee from an interested outfit. Christian would thrive with a move to the Portuguese Liga NOS or a mid-table La Liga, Serie A or Bundesliga outfit where he would be able to continue his development while accruing resale value.
