Diego Simeone: Tactical dinosaur or still Atletico Madrid’s man with the magic touch?
Atleti have spent approximately €190 million (£165m/$220m) in each of the past two summers and now risk having nothing but Champions League qualification to show for their efforts. With Simeone’s contract expiring in 2027 and the club’s new majority shareholders, Apollo Sports Capital, reportedly unsure of whether to offer him an extension, there is a feeling that we’re approaching the end of the most successful era in the club’s history.
Nothing has been decided as of yet, though, and the next week could have a monumental impact on how Simeone’s tenure is viewed – and what happens next.
The narrative has already been set before this week’s Champions League semi-finals. Whereas Paris Saint-Germain’s meeting with Bayern Munich is considered unmissable, the fear is that Atletico Madrid against Arsenal could be unwatchable. But Simeone’s Atleti could very easily flip the script.
The Rojiblancos may still have a reputation for dogged defending and dark arts, but they’ve actually been one of the more unpredictable teams in this season’s Champions League and their games have been full of goals. Indeed, Atleti haven’t been involved in a single scoreless draw, while they’ve managed just one clean sheet – and that was against 10-man Barcelona at Camp Nou.
In Julian Alvarez, Simeone is also in possession of one of the finest forwards in the world, while the multi-talented Antoine Griezmann is eyeing a fairy-tale finish to his Atleti career, Ademola Lookman has added a whole new dimension to the attack since his January arrival from Atalanta, and Alexander Sorloth has repeatedly popped up with important goals.
A first Champions League semi-final in nine years, thus, represents a glorious opportunity for Simeone to show the world that both he and Atleti have evolved; that they’ve belatedly adapted to the modern game.
They’re undoubtedly the underdogs against an Arsenal side that looks a bit like a younger and stronger version of Simeone’s old title-winners, but victory would secure him an unexpected third crack at Champions League glory – and dismiss any doubt over his status as one of the finest coaches the game has ever seen.
