Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid empire under scrutiny after trophy drought
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Seattle Sounders' Cristian Roldan and Jon Bell in action with Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann at the Club World Cup.
PHOTO: REUTERS
MADRID – Diego Simeone’s once-untouchable reign at Atletico Madrid faces its biggest crisis, as the club great starts his 14th full season amid mounting pressure after four trophy-less campaigns and a growing disconnect between his measured ambitions and the board’s aims.
The Argentinian transformed Atletico from a lowly, struggling team in the Spanish capital into a European powerhouse, reaching two Champions League finals in three years with a relentless, physically imposing defensive style that left richer clubs with stellar squads struggling to cope.
However, since winning their 11th La Liga title in 2021, Simeone has failed to deliver silverware while preaching that Atletico’s main objective is not winning titles but finishing in the top three in the Spanish top flight, claiming they cannot compete financially with Barcelona and Real Madrid.
That discourse has become a tough pill to swallow for fans and pundits as Atletico keep spending big money every season.
They bought the likes of Julian Alvarez, Alexander Sorloth, Robin le Normand and Conor Gallagher in deals reaching nearly €200 million (S$299.7 million) in 2024, followed by Alex Baena, David Hancko, Johnny Cardoso and Thiago Almada and others for over €150 million this term.
On Aug 11, the club announced that they have signed Italy forward Giacomo Raspadori from Serie A champions Napoli on a five-year contract.
Raspadori, who also won the Scudetto with Napoli in 2023 and 2025, has joined for €22 million, according to Spanish media reports.
The 25-year-old scored six goals and provided two assists for Napoli last term in his third season with the club after signing from Sassuolo in 2022.
Those signings have joined a squad of established players like Antoine Griezmann, Nahuel Molina, Jan Oblak, Jose Maria Gimenez and Koke, making Simeone’s modest objectives more and more disconnected from reality.
Club owner Miguel Angel Gil Marin earlier in August delivered a message that directly contradicts Simeone’s cautious approach.
“We firmly believe that we are building a squad to dream big. We are ambitious, we take risks, we have brought in and will continue to bring in new partners willing to invest capital, which is necessary to continue growing in sporting, social and infrastructure terms,” he said.
Atletico’s disappointing early group-stage exit at the highly profitable Club World Cup provided the latest setback, with a humiliating 4-0 defeat by French and European champions Paris Saint-Germain exposing familiar weaknesses including frail defending against wide players and lack of creativity in the final third.
Critics and fans are questioning whether Europe’s highest-paid manager can still inspire a squad that have stagnated in both domestic and European competition, with mounting challenges ahead to reclaim their status as contenders on all fronts.
The answer remains to be seen, as Atletico start their La Liga challenge at Espanyol on Aug 17. REUTERS
