Diego Simeone meets at the helm of Atlético Madrid 500 games. Therefore, what better excuse to pay tribute to a remarkable coach who was not bad at all as a player?
Simeone wins the UEFA Cup as a player
What they say about him
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“Simeone is a complete coach, I always said it when I was at Atlético. He is close to you, he works a lot in tactics, and he is very intelligent in the way he prepares for games. He has certain innate things, a talent to prepare you for the games. He is a passionate coach, and he creates the bond between the team and the fans. He is the conductor of the orchestra. “
Diego Godín, former Atlético captain
“He has an extraordinary gift. His team runs like dynamite. The team works, and his players love him.”
Julian Nagelsmann, entrenador del Leipzig
“If I’m not mistaken, Simeone has been at Atlético for nine years and has made them evolve in a very positive way. Now they have the best defense in Europe.”
Hansi Flick, Bayern coach
“We all know it and we can all see it. Atlético is fighting for trophies because during the week they demand a lot. Football is played as it is trained.”
Gabriel Milito, former teammate of the Argentine team
“I think everyone knows how good he is, how passionate he is when he’s on the touchline and when he’s training. He’s amazing and I have the opportunity to learn from him.”
Kieran Trippier, Atlético defender
Coaching career (Athletic)
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UEFA club competition: 105 (64G 21E 20D)
National competition: 394 (236G 97E 61D)
* The national competition includes the League, the King’s Cup and the Spanish Super Cup.
Playing career (Europe)
International: 106 games, 11 goals
UEFA club competition: 63 games, 9 goals
National competition: 375 games, 65 goals
* Only the League and Serie A are included in the national competition (matches with Pisa, Sevilla, Atlético, Inter and Lazio).
Claiming fame
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- The longest-serving coach in Spain and the second-longest consecutive coach at a Spanish club after Miguel Muñoz of Real Madrid.
- After arriving on the bench on December 23, 2011, he guided the rojiblancos to two Europa League titles (2012, 2018), two Champions League finals (2014, 2016), as well as to win the UEFA Super Cup. twice (2012, 2018). He won the league title against Madrid and Barcelona in 2013/14, just as he did as an Atlético player in 1995/96.
- He won nine titles as a club and national player, including the UEFA Cup in 1998 and the UEFA Super Cup in 1999.
- He represented Argentina in three FIFA World Cups and four Americas Cups (winning in 1991 and 1993), as well as obtaining a silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games.
You may not know
- He was nicknamed El Cholo by the coach of the Argentine youth team, Victorio Spinetto, on the occasion of the Boca Juniors right-back who played in the 1970s, Carmelo Simeone. When asked its meaning, he acknowledged that “I have no idea.”
- His motto is “In life, you have to believe.”
- When he was called up to the Argentine U-20 team, 17-year-old Simeone, along with former Celta coach Antonio Mohamed, realized they had missed the team bus to take them to training. They tried to catch a public bus; however, without money, the driver did not take them. Simeone told the driver that he denied the trip to two future Argentine internationals, but it did not help. In the end, they had to rush to training.
- As a child, his idol was the Brazilian Falcão.
- He once described his style of play in the following way: “with the knife between the teeth”.
- Simeone has three children, two of whom are professional footballers. Giovanni plays for Cagliari in Serie A, and Gianluca plays in the fourth Spanish division for CD Ibiza.
What does it say
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“I live with a phrase that my friend Nelson Vivas says: ‘The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.’
“As in war, sometimes it is not the best who win, but the most convinced of their cause.”
“I believe in individual work with footballers. If I see that they are improving, this is the most important trophy they can win.”
What can you still achieve
- Atlético’s first UEFA Champions League title, having been so close twice.
- Atlético is well placed to fight for a second league title under his tenure.
- The coach with the most Atleti games, Luis Aragonés, currently holds the record of 611 games as head of the team.
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