FEATURE | Brest’s Edimilson Fernandes approaching a crossroads | OneFootball

Last season, Stade Brestois shocked the entire world by going from perennial relegation contenders to the upper echelons of French football, finishing third in Ligue 1 and qualifying for European competition for the first time in their entire history.

This season, Les Pirates have been hit with a cold dose of reality, winning just two of their last 10 matches and losing six in the same time span. They were knocked out from the UEFA Champions League knockout round by Paris Saint-Germain, who demolished them 10-0 across two legs to book their place in the Round of 16. After losing 7-0 at the Parc des Princes, Brest were held to a goalless draw at Strasbourg before facing off against Ligue 2 side USL Dunkerque. Brest found themselves cruising to a 2-0 victory after scoring twice after the interval, only for Vincent Sasso to pull one back for the second-tier outfit, whilst Opa Sangante’s late brace would see Dunkerque pull off an improbable comeback and win 3-2 at Brest to confirm their spot in the Coupe de France semifinal.

Eric Roy’s side have regressed to ninth in the table, amassing just 33 points from 24 matches, and they are on the outside looking in on the European positions. Their magical carriage has turned into a pumpkin, and it seems that the good old days have come and gone in Finistère. However, one player who has proven to be a reliable pair of legs in midfield for them is Edimilson Fernandes (28).

Born in Sion, Switzerland to Cape Verdean parents, Fernandes is the cousin of Swiss international footballer Gelson Fernandes, Portuguese international footballer Manuel Fernandes and ex-Sunderland midfielder Cabral. Just like Gelson, Edmilson came through FC Sion’s academy, making his Swiss Super League debut shortly after turning 17 years old. He quickly became a vital cog as a box-to-box midfielder, winning the 2014/15 Swiss Cup and assisting two goals on his European football debut in a 2-1 UEFA Europa League victory vs. Rubin Kazan.

An ever-present in Lees-Melou’s absence

It wasn’t long before West Ham came calling, signing the 20-year-old midfielder for £5.5m. Fernandes enjoyed a promising start in East London, deputising at right wing-back and left wing-back and capping his full debut by scoring a goal in a 2-1 win vs. Chelsea in the EFL Cup. This earned him the praise of West Ham coach Slaven Bilić, who declared, “I would be lying if I said I expected him to break into the side so quickly. He presents himself very well in training and he is a very talented player who needs to keep working hard. He has got everything; stamina, he has got technique and skill and a good football brain and he should bring us a lot of qualities.”

It seemed that he was the perfect fit for West Ham, but instead, the hype proved to be short-lived. After making 32 appearances in his debut campaign, Fernandes’ playing time waned following the arrival of David Moyes, playing just 16 times in 2016/17. Desperate for a new adventure, Fernandes spent a year out on loan at Serie A side Fiorentina before making the move to Bundesliga club Mainz in 2019. His time at Mainz was riddled with maladies from a meniscus injury to the Coronavirus, prompting him to head out to fellow Bundesliga side Arminia Bielefeld for a brief loan, before spending the second half of the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Swiss side Young Boys. He then returned to Die Nullfünfer and emerged as a regular at the centre-back position, putting his 1.87m frame to good use and helping them finish ninth and 13th in 2022/23 and 2023/24.

After bouncing around from Switzerland to England to Italy to Germany, Fernandes decided to take his talents to France in the summer of 2024 and join Brest on loan. With Mainz manager Bo Svensson having four options for his preferred back three as well as a plethora of options in midfield, it was clear that Fernandes’ playing time wasn’t going to be what he was hoping for – hence his move to Ligue 1. He had already played 30 times for the Swiss national team and even represented Switzerland in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but now, he was going to be playing in the UEFA Champions League for the first time.

Fernandes’ time in France didn’t quite start off on the right foot: he made his debut on September 14, playing 80 minutes in a 3-1 defeat to PSG. Five days later, he scored an own goal in a 2-1 win against Sturm Graz. The following week, he was hauled off at the hour-mark in a 3-0 defeat to Auxerre. Fernandes failed to play a single minute in six of the first eight Ligue 1 matches that he was eligible for, and it seemed that his adventure in Brest would end before it had even really begun. Instead, he received a lifeline in the form of an injury to Pierre Lees-Melou, the creative talisman behind Brest’s magical 2023/24 season.

A ‘neutral’ season for Fernandes

With Lees-Melou on the treatment table, Fernandes would emerge as a key figure under Eric Roy, helping to protect the backline and guard against dangerous transitions. He played in all 10 of Brest’s Champions League matches, starting in eight of them and scoring against Sparta Prague, whilst he’s also made 14 appearances in Ligue 1 and three in the Coupe de France. Fernandes leads all Brest players for interceptions per 90 in Ligue 1 (1.2) alongside Ivorian defender Luc Zogbé, whilst his 1.7 clearances per game are bettered only by four Brest players. But whilst his defensive nous has been on full display, his lack of ingenuity in possession has meant that he hasn’t quite managed to thrill Brest’s fanbase.

“His season has been relatively neutral,” stated Brest On Air, a French-language podcast that focuses on Brest. “He played a series of matches largely due to Lees-Melou’s prolonged absence, and without ever having any very bad matches, he also didn’t shine in midfield. He suffered quite a bit from the comparison as Lees-Melou is superior to him in all areas of the game, but in his defence, it’s not easy to replace the best player on the team. He has the advantage of being quite versatile, and can even help out as a full-back (which he did in the Champions League in particular). He has some passing quality and physical presence, but we see very little overstepping of his role and offensive initiatives. His mission was more to ensure the defensive balance of the team, thus playing rather deep. There was very little risk-taking or initiative, and a lot of lateral play. He is a reliable player but nothing more.”

As he approaches 29 years of age, Fernandes continues to be a regular contributor for not just Brest but Switzerland, having started at right back in each of the national team’s last three matches. But today, he finds himself at a crossroads. His contract with Mainz expires in 2026, and if Brest decline to take up their purchase option, then it will only be a matter of time before he ends up making the move to the eighth different club of his professional career.

GFFN | Zach Lowy