Diego Pablo Simeone will fulfill the contract that will keep him linked to Atlético until June 2024. Despite the fact that in recent times there has been a lot of information, some leaked even from the club itself, that questioned the continuity of the Argentine coach on the rojiblanco bench, Cholo will continue game by game for at least one more season.
In fact, the coach, who has always been committed to the club and its situation, He has tightened his belt a few months ago by lowering his file, which has dropped from 20 million euros to 16.5, as confirmed by THE SPANISH NEWSPAPERfrom the Prensa Ibérica group, sources from the club itself. Movement that confirms Cholo’s commitment to Atlético in these most difficult financial times for the club, after being eliminated in Europe at the first exchange. To this is added a deficit to start the season by failing to sell footballers to make cash and enter the 30 million that the club needed to start the course without ballast.
Frictions with Gil Marín
A few months ago there was talk of the option, even, of extending the Argentine’s contract for two more years, thus extending his relationship with the rojiblanco club, a maneuver that many wanted to see as a way for Atlético to assume the payment of the 40 million euros that remained to be paid to the Argentine, extending the payment to four years instead of two.
That rarefied climate did not only come due to the bad results of the team in the Champions League. The relationship between Gil Marín and Simeone had cooled down with some clashes between the club manager and the team manager.
Cristiano, Griezmann and Joao
Those disagreements began with the appearance of the possibility of signing Cristiano Ronaldoreinforcement negotiated by Gil Marín with Mendes behind the coach’s back, the tug of war for the purchase of Griezmann from Barcelona after several months in which Simeone could only line up for half an hour, or the management of the departure of Joao Félix, in which Gil Marín publicly positioned himself in favor of the Portuguese’s continuity and pointed to Simeone as guilty of his departure due to their bad relationship.
Added to all this is the war in the stands, in which the Atlético Front has used Simeone as a thrown weapon against the leader in a problem that has been censored by the rest of the fans and on which the coach has not wanted to rule .
Once the disagreements have been overcome, the Argentine has confirmed his intention to fulfill the contract, something he has maintained at all times. And this is happening now that Simeone has become a “legend”, as Atlético himself described him in the act of celebrating his new status as athletic coach with the most matches, after surpassing Luis Aragonés’ 612. An act in which the squad, the staff and the coach’s family participated, as the culmination of the work of these twelve seasons in which the coach has competitively elevated Atlético to the highest levels of the club in its history.
Simeone has played 613 games on the rojiblanco bench in all competitions, with 359 wins, 143 draws, 111 losses and a scoring record of 1,004 goals for and 478 against. Now Andre Berta, mattress sports director, they must refine to sell players that Gil Marín brought and Simeone have not been worth it, as he has already done with Joao Félix and Cunha, and bring others who serve Cholo to return Atlético to the aristocracy of Europe.
Girona-Athletic, today at 9:00 p.m.
Atlético de Madrid plays tonight (9:00 p.m.) in Girona looking to achieve their first victory in Montilivi, where they have achieved three draws in three visits, all with Diego Simeone on the bench. The Argentinian will bet on attack by the partnership formed by Memphis Depay-Antoine Griezmann, with which Álvaro Morata will have to wait on the bench for his opportunity, despite scoring two goals against Sevilla in the last match of the colchoneros.
Atlético arrives at the best moment of the season, after being reborn after the 2022 World Cup. They have eight games without falling, with five victories in the last seven days after the departure of Joao Félix and Cunha from the team. Those of Cholo have established themselves on the LaLiga podium, where they will try to stabilize to ensure their place in the Champions League.
In Girona, eleventh, he will try to add to stay away from relegation, especially after falling in Getafe (3-0). Juanpe Ramírez could cede his place to David López, and Miguel Gutiérrez be a starter, like the ‘atlético’ Riquelme.
