Diego Simeone Faces Pressure To End Atletico’s Four-Year Trophy Drought

‎Diego Simeone’s previously unassailable grip on Atlético Madrid is under its fiercest strain as he begins his 14th season.

‎He faces mounting pressure after four trophyless campaigns and a widening gap between his measured ambitions and the club’s objectives.

‎The Argentine reshaped Atlético from a modest, struggling squad on Madrid’s south side into a European heavyweight. He guided them to two Champions League finals in three years with a relentless, physically imposing defensive approach that left wealthier clubs with star-studded squads struggling to cope.

‎Since clinching their 11th La Liga title in 2021, Simeone has struggled to deliver silverware.

‎He has argued that Atlético’s primary goal is to finish in the top three rather than win titles, claiming they cannot compete financially with Barcelona and Real Madrid.

‎That stance has become a hard pill for fans and pundits to swallow as Atlético continues to spend big each season.

‎Atlético Madrid spending

‎They spent nearly 200 million euros last year on Julian Alvarez, Alexander Sorloth, Robin Le Normand, and Conor Gallagher.

‎This season, they followed up with over 150 million euros for Alex Baena, David Hancko, Johnny Cardozo, and Thiago Almada.

‎Those signings have joined an established core that includes Antoine Griezmann, Nahuel Molina, Jan Oblak, Marcos Alonso, Jose Maria Gimenez, and Koke. The result is a growing gap between Simeone’s modest objectives and the scale of the squad’s ambitions.

‎Club owner Miguel Angel Gil Marin last week 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.

‎Atlético’s disappointing early exit from the Club World Cup, a profitable event for the club, represented their latest setback.

‎A 4-0 humbling by Paris Saint-Germain exposed familiar weaknesses, from frail defending against wide players to a lack of creativity in the final third.

‎Critics and fans alike question whether Europe’s highest-paid manager can still inspire a squad that has stagnated in domestic and European competition.

‎With mounting challenges ahead, they face an uphill battle to reclaim their status as contenders on all fronts.

‎Atletico start their LaLiga challenge at Espanyol on August 17.