Take Charge of One of Europe's Best Squads and Build Your Own Legacy at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Back in January, Diego Simeone shocked the footballing world when he announced that he would be leaving Atletico Madrid at the end of the season. Los Rojiblancos endured a tough start to life in La Liga earlier this term and, with their maverick Argentinian head coach perhaps feeling like he has taken the club as far as he can, he made the decision to walk away. Since the announcement, however, Atleti’s form has picked up exponentially, culminating in the 5-1 drubbing of Sevilla at the Wanda Metropolitano last weekend. Oddschecker, which compares European football odds and free offers, now makes the club from the Spanish capital one of the favourites to finish in the top four this season.
Simeone’s Sensational Time In Charge
But it was the 2014 campaign that solidified El Cholo as one of the best coaches on the planet. That year, he battled against perennial title favourites Real Madrid and Barcelona for a first La Liga title in 18 years. And he came out on top. Atletico Madrid faced Barca in Camp Nou in the final game of the season that year, and they needed a point to secure the trophy. Thanks to Diego Godín’s second-half header, that is exactly what they got.
Simeone also led his side to a first-ever Champions League final that year and it looked like they had the final wrapped up until Sergio Ramos’ last-gasp equaliser. As we all remember, Real would go on to seal La Decima in extra time. Two years later, the same two Madrid clubs would contest the Champions League final once again, this time in the San Siro. Again it was Los Blancos who came out on top via a penalty shoot-out.
In the years since, El Cholo has delivered another Europa League to the Metropolitano, as well as wrapping up a second La Liga crown in dramatic fashion in 2021. He will go down in history as the club’s greatest-ever manager.
But can you deliver a new dawn in Madrid next season as a football manager?
The Foundations of Success
The 23-year-old Portuguese sensation is currently on loan at Chelsea, but he will return to Madrid at the end of the season. Admittedly, he hasn’t hit the heights expected of him when Atletico forked out an eye-watering €127 million for his services back in 2019. But with Simeone gone and you in charge, now is the time to build a team around the gifted former Benfica man.
Just like Simeone had throughout the majority of his tenure, there is a strong core at the Metropolitano. The likes of Jan Oblak, José María Giménez, Rodrigo de Paul, Marcos Llorente, Antoine Griezmann, and captain Koke should be the players you build a new look team around, and with the enigmatic talents of the aforementioned Felix, as well as Ángel Correa, Atletico Madrid’s glory days can continue.
Much of Diego Simeone’s success was built on the central defensive partnership of Diego Godín and Miranda, with the duo being an absolute brick wall when playing together. Your first task as the new man in the hot seat will be finding a defensive partner for José María Giménez.
If you can get that foundation built early doors, there is no reason why your Rojiblancos cannot continue challenging rivals Real and Barca.