Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid chasing redemption against Arsenal in Champions League semis

MADRID – Atletico Madrid and their coach Diego Simeone have regularly tasted the sting of disappointment, even in what is the club’s golden age.

The La Liga giants host Arsenal on April 29 in the Champions League semi-finals, chasing redemption after their crushing Copa del Rey final defeat by Real Sociedad on April 18.

Tens of thousands of Atletico fans travelled down to Seville only to go home empty-handed, just as they did in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League title deciders against bitter rivals Real Madrid.

Los Rojiblancos have never won Europe’s premier club competition, losing in their other final appearance in 1974 against Bayern Munich.

They can take a first step towards a fourth final when they face Mikel Arteta’s side.

In their first game back home against Athletic Bilbao on April 25 after the Copa del Rey disappointment, Atletico’s fans gave the team a cold reception.

“The fans don’t need messages (from me), what they need is to win,” noted Simeone in Seville.

But by the end of the team’s 3-2 victory over Bilbao – only their second in the last nine games across all competitions – the mood had lightened.

“We have to get up from that blow and give everything to get to the final,” key striker Julian Alvarez said.

The Arsenal tie offers a route to immediate atonement. By April 29 the atmosphere will be frenzied and intoxicating, as it was for the quarter-final elimination of Barcelona.

Atletico are no longer at the Vicente Calderon but the Metropolitano Stadium is just as intense, and louder with the increased capacity.

Opened in 2017, it obviously does not have the history of its predecessor. That will take time, and incredible performances on nights like these, to build.

Simeone has called on Atletico fans to give his team an edge against the English Premier League leaders.

“We’ve built this success through hard work and the support of our fans,” he said. “We need them now more than ever and hopefully we can give them what they want on the pitch.”

When the conditions are right, Atletico have proven they can dismantle any side at home.

They blitzed Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final, and romped to a 5-2 derby victory over Real there earlier this season.

Those matches should have put to bed the myth that Simeone’s team play the same dour, defensive football which was the bedrock of their success in the first half of his 14-year reign.

What is non-negotiable though – now, then and always for the Argentinian – is his team’s intensity, work rate and competitiveness, and capacity to suffer when they need to against superior opponents.

“We’ve reached this point by competing the way we have. Nothing has stopped us so far,” he said.

“Coraje y corazon” (Spanish for “courage and heart”) is the club’s motto and when on the attack, Atletico look to cause damage with their power and speed.

The coach’s son Giuliano Simeone, Marcos Llorente and Alexander Sorloth are dynamic, hard-hitting attackers while talented talisman Antoine Griezmann still works his socks off.

“It will be a very important match (against Arsenal), we have to be calm, relaxed, knowing that we can do it,” said Atletico’s all-time top scorer Griezmann, who will leave the club in the summer for Major League Soccer side Orlando City.

“I’m enjoying these last few games here. I hope I can gift something incredible to the fans.”

As Simeone observed, for all the sweat and grit his team have offered, the gift they need to give is silverware. AFP