Simeone’s record with Atletico rivals what Jurgen Klopp has done with Borussia Dortmund.
Last Thursday Atletico Madrid reached the final of the UEFA Europa League by defeating Arsenal with an aggregate score of 2-1. The team won as Atletico’s manager, Diego Simeone, watched the game from the stands. It’s because Simone is serving a four-match UEFA ban for having insulted a match official.
Courtesy: Sky Sports
It isn’t the first time Simeone displayed ill-disciplined behavior, but that demeanor works for him–as it did last Thursday. The team fought hard for its deposed manager and now Atletico will lock horns for the title with Marseille on May 16 in Lyon.
But yet another attribute of personality–graciousness–makes Simeone special. “I am only the visible tail of a group that has been working in an extraordinary way for six years,” he said during the post-match conference.
Appointed back in 2011, Simeone has brought nothing but jubilation to Atletico’s fans. The team has won the La Liga title, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Europa League, but has lost out on two finals of the UEFA Champions League. With those accomplishments, Simeone’s record with Atletico rivals what Jurgen Klopp has done with Borussia Dortmund.
And what makes Simeone even more valuable is that Atletico is not a big-spending team like some of its European rivals. Yet, Atletico continues to produce world-class players, like Radamel Falcao, David Villa, Diego Costa, and their now in-form striker, Antoine Griezman.
The problem is that many of those players get picked up by other clubs (e.g., Falcoa, Villa), which forces Atletico to rebuild repeatedly. It’s almost as though Madrid is the bait others use to find the fish they prefer.
My take is that Simeone doesn’t get the credit he deserves–not only for winning consistently but also for developing talent found on rosters throughout Europe and beyond.
