Atlético Madrid are the fourth most successful club in Spain after Real
Madrid, Barcelona, and Athletic Bilbao. The Journey was never a bed of
roses which is quite evident from various stages in their history. The
club was established on 26 April 1903 by 3 Basque students living in
Madrid. The club decided to pair a combination of red and white shirts
with blue shorts giving them a distinct identity. Though they enjoyed a
golden period between 1947-1965 under the leadership of managers
like Helenio Herrera, Ferdinand Daucik making big clubs like
Barcelona and Real Madrid shiver at the prospect of facing off ,
dominating Spanish football which they desired seemed impossible .
One major reason was the solid structure and the financial backing that
the Los Blancos boasted of . Though they did challenge the Blaugranas,
dominating the Galacticos was a step too far. They further enjoyed
reasonable success under managers like Luis Aragones and Juan Carlos
Lorenzo . Sadly the fortunes of the club went for a toss in the year 1987
when controversial Businessman Jesus Gil became the Club President.
The thirst for finally lifting the league league which had eluded them for
the last 10 years was slowly getting uncontrollable for the fans who
demanded top new signings who could get them the glory they desired.
Gil obliged by making a couple of high profile signings like Paulo Futre
but sadly even this was not enough. Consecutive Copa Del Rey success
failed to appease the fans and Gil started sacking managers left right
centre in pursuit of the Golden League Trophy which eluded them.
Florentino Perez will be a recent example of a club president adopting
Gil’s much criticized policies with relation to managers. The Youth
Academy was shut down in 1992 which resulted in a then 15 year old
Raul shifting to their eternal rivals out of desperation and finding no
alternative. Atletico avoided relegation on the last day with a lucky draw
in the 1994-95 season . Though the 1995-96 season was a Glorious one
with the club winning the double , the situation worsened there on. The
fans who went wild with happiness after their pursuit for the much
coveted La liga trophy ended on a triumphant note were filled with
optimism that the club could dominate world football in the coming
years. Alas , Atletico crashed out early in the Champions league and the
season turned out to be a massive failure . Between 1997-2006, Atletico
Madrid faced one of the darkest periods in their history with Ranieri,
Antic getting the pink slip and the club getting relegated in the 1999-
2000 season. Though they did return to the top division in 2002, the fans
were heavily disappointed with the circumstances which befell their
glorious club. Controversial Club President Gil and his team were
suspended and finally removed in this period of time over accusations
that the club funds were being mismanaged. Though they did enjoy
success with managers like Flores, Laudrup from 2006-12 with the club
claiming their first European title since 1961-62 , Winning the 2010
super cup, the fans were not satisfied as they demanded a manager who
could lead the club the same way Pep Guordiola led Barcelona
delivering consistent success while at the same time encouraging “tiki-
taka”. Top Strikers like Sergio Aguero and Fernando Torres left for
Liverpool and Manchester City during this time period but their absence
was hardly felt as a result of the sublime performances put in by Diego
Forlan who joined in a 21 million deal from Villareal. The need for a
manager who could deliver consistent success while at the same time
adopt a style of play which could define the club was felt.
Diego Simeone
enjoyed a sparkling career as a footballer on the national level though
he was not as impactful in club football . He surprassed Diego Maradona
as the most capped player and even scored 11 goals in the 1992 King
Fahd Cup. Nicknamed Cholo , he was famous for his quick energetic
style which is a quality he has encouraged as a manager also. The
controversial incident involving David Beckham in 1998 stood out as
the only moment when he caught the eye of the viewers and the media
for the wrong reasons. . He decided to try his hand at managing after
retiring as a footballer in 2006. His Managerial Career kicked off with a
boom in Argentina when he was voted as the best manager in the league.
He managed clubs like River Plate , San Lorenzo , Catania where he
could not replicate the same success he enjoyed in his first season . In
2011 he took up a managerial role at Atletico Madrid with the club in
turmoil and the fans in deep worry. The fact that he was a former player
who had played 165 games for the club and scored 31 goals in the
process endeared him to the fans but many doubted whether he enjoyed
the same prowess as a manager. There were many detractors who
predicted an early sack and a below par performance in the trophy
department at the end of the season. Simeone faced a fight against the
odds to get the fans on his side. Simeone recognized the need to get the
squad mentally strong and make them function as a unit. There was a lot
of emphasis on solid defensive gameplay while at the same time
delivering 100 percent effort on the field with relation to tackling and
pressing. The players believed in themselves and looked to win at any
cost. The Age Old dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid over
Spanish Football was threatened by this group of dedicated warriors who
did not give two hoots about being the under –dogs. . The Common
Joke which has been used to describe Simeone’s fighters has been that
of equating them to WWE wrestlers in relation to their physical
approach to the game. The team gameplay does earn them a lot of cards
but It delivers results at the same time. Simeone managed to make
neutrals and even pandits appreciate his impact when he delivered the
Europa League in the first season . The Same fans who earlier doubted
his capabilities became his biggest supporters. Atletico won the Super
Cup in the 2012/13 season which was another indication of Simeone’s
capabilities. Falcao played a key role with goals in both the seasons but
then decided to join Monaco in a big money summer transfer move
before the 2013/14 season . This sent shockwaves across the fan base as
no player seemed capable enough to replace the charismatic striker.
Simeone effortlessly replaced him as he got Diego Costa back from loan
. 34 Goals in 38 La Liga and Ucl games was the goal scoring Tally
recorded by Costa in the 2013/14 season when Atletico won the la liga
after drawing against Barcelona on the last day. Another indication of
how shrewd Simeone was in relation to management. David Villa who
made a move in the 2013/14 season turned out to be a shrewd
acquisition himself. Though the UCL trophy has gone on to elude
Simeone’s side when they reached the finals in the 2013/14 and 2015/16
season, The Club has managed to go from strength to strength even after
losing key players like Thibout Courtious , Diego Costa who left for
Chelsea and Arda Turan who left for Barcelona. Antoine Griezman and
Jan Oblak have been able to replace Costa and Courtious – players
whose transfers everyone deemed as major blows which is another
indication of Simeone’s ability to sniff out talent. Young Players like
Saul, Angel Correa have grown drastically under Simeone with
Fernando Torres whom everyone had almost given up upon after his
waywardly finishing enjoying a re-emergence at the club which he
formerly captained. Simeone’s ability to inspire loyalty has been
observed in the manner players like Koke and Griezman were willing to
ignore offers from big clubs like Barcelona and PSG which is a
testimony to the fact that Simeone certainly enjoys a certain charisma
and inspires confidence. Lifting the Ucl Trophy is an objective Simeone
and his squad want to achieve badly . Considering the reinforcements
and the backup every department enjoys, this dream seems to be well
within their grasp unlike the scenario in the past. The Gap between the
two major giants of Spanish Football and other teams in the Country
which earlier seemed too big seems to have been bridged with Diego
Simeone making a huge impact .