La Liga
Simeone’s Next Chapter: Can He Reinvent Atletico Once More?
For more than a decade, Diego Simeone has been the cornerstone of Atletico Madrid’s identity.
No era in the club’s history has been as stable or consistent as this one. Two LaLiga titles (2014 and 2021), multiple Champions League finals, and a permanent seat at the top table of European football speak volumes about his work.
Yet with consistency comes new demands. What once made Atletico feared across Europe has been weakened.
Now, Simeone faces perhaps his toughest challenge yet reinventing himself and his team in an era where opponents no longer fear “El Cholo’s Atletico.”
From 2014 to 2021: Two Versions of Cholismo
When Atletico won the league in 2014, the style was rigid, defensive, and relentless. Simeone’s famous 4-4-2 squeezed opponents, suffocated creativity, and leaned heavily on wide play and set pieces.
David Villa and Diego Costa spearheaded the attack, but it was Diego Godín and Miranda at the back who truly defined that campaign.
Fast forward to 2021, and the philosophy had shifted. Suarez, at the twilight of his career, was given the freedom to stay central while the rest of the team worked to maximize his efficiency.
Kieran Trippier’s precise delivery from wide areas transformed Atletico’s 3-5-2 into a more progressive and attacking outfit. Simeone’s pragmatism had evolved into a new brand of Cholismo one that married defensive discipline with attacking fluency.
But Trippier is gone. Suarez is gone. And once again, Simeone must find a new formula.
The 2024/25 Conundrum: Who Leads the Attack?
The current Atletico project appears caught between identities. Recent investments suggest Simeone wants to construct a third way, a system that balances creativity with efficiency.
The challenge is fitting the right pieces together.
Antoine Griezmann, now 34, remains a leader but no longer has the legs to roam tirelessly. Simeone must decide whether to use him as a playmaker or push him closer to the box.
Julián Álvarez, a marquee signing, has already shown his quality with a hat-trick against Rayo Vallecano. He looks like the natural focal point of the attack.
Alexander Sørloth is a powerful, aerial option but often starts on the bench, leaving Atleti without a direct target when Álvarez is unavailable.
Giacomo Raspadori, new to LaLiga, is still adapting and doesn’t yet fit the system.
Reinforcements like Alex Baena and Thiago Almada (currently injured) are expected to help, but for now, Simeone’s attack feels experimental rather than defined.
Defensive Fragility: Atletico’s New Weakness
What is perhaps most striking is how fragile Atletico now looks at the back. Once the gold standard of defensive solidity, the team now concedes with alarming regularity.
In LaLiga, Atletico have already shipped seven goals in six games. In the Champions League opener at Anfield, they were undone in both the opening and closing stages, falling 3-2 to Liverpool.
Key concerns include:
Full-back issues: Nahuel Molina is out of form on the right, while Javi Galán and David Hancko have struggled to lock down the left, pending Matteo Ruggeri’s integration.
Centre-back instability: Lenglet and Le Normand form the primary pairing, but neither inspires full confidence. Giménez remains injury-prone, while Hancko has already suffered setbacks.
Midfield strain: Pablo Barrios and Koke are forced to cover excessive ground to mask defensive gaps, often stretching themselves thin.
For a team once synonymous with defensive discipline, this shift is profound and worrying.
Simeone’s Dilemma: Attack or Defence?
Atletico stands at a crossroads. Someone’s reinvention must decide whether to prioritize:
A return to 2014 values: compact, defensive, and unforgiving, leaning on collective sacrifice.
A continuation of 2021’s evolution: progressive football that maximizes forwards like Álvarez and Griezmann. Right now, Atletico are caught somewhere in between.
Too open to be defensively secure, but too hesitant to fully embrace attacking ambition.
The Stakes: El Derbi Madrileño
This weekend’s Eternal Derby against Real Madrid could offer clarity. Real entered the clash full of confidence, unbeaten in their first six league matches. Atletico, meanwhile, is seeking direction.
Can Simeone impose order on his chaotic defence? Will Álvarez and Griezmann provide the cutting edge in attack?
Or will Atletico once again find themselves running against time, rather than shaping it?
