A larger-than-life portrait of Diego Pablo Simeone is emblazoned above Gate 40 of Atlético Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano, and below it is the legend that applies to him, the coach, just as much as to his club: “Otra forma de entender la vida”, in English: “Another way of understanding life”.
If you want to know the sources from which Simeone’s view of the world is fed, or even just: what wood Simeone is made of, you will find it in the TV documentary “Partido a partido”, which is currently being distributed on the Amazon streaming service. Among other things, because Simeone’s mother, Nilda González, remembers the days when the filius took his first career steps at Vélez Sarsfield in the first Argentine league and had to endure rude statements.
“They shouted: You son of a bitch! You hungry!” said Doña Nilda. Then she got up and intervened: “Son of a bitch? Because of me. But starving? I’m his mother!” She got astonished looks, she said, and then looked into her husband’s horrified eyes. “He almost killed me,” she said – and laughed.
The documentary series concludes with Simeone’s most recent success, the second Spanish league title won by the former Argentina international as Atlético Madrid coach. Including national and European Supercups, it was Simeone’s eighth title since taking office at the end of 2011. What happened next would be worth a documentary of its own: a mysterious series of mediocre performances, brilliant games and disappointments.
In the Spanish league, Atlético are fifteen points behind leaders Real Madrid after 31 of 38 match days; Atlético lost at the weekend at Real Mallorca, which was in danger of relegation. In the cup, Atlético were eliminated in the round of 16 after a 2-0 defeat at Real Sociedad San Sebastián. And whether Atlético will win the title honors in the Champions League of all places is at least questionable. On Wednesday Atlético have to catch up in the round of 16 against Manchester City from a 0-1 deficit. Atlético have not won in seven home Champions League games and historically have a great talent for failing tragically in the premier class.
Atlético reminds “of the plebes, roughness, street dogs, punk music, graffiti on trains,” writes the newspaper La Vanguardia
After the first leg, the old debates about Atlético’s understanding of the game were more crude than they had been for a long time. The reason: Atlético’s football refusal. Atlético had operated from a 5-5-0 system in Manchester and had not fired a single shot on goal in 90 minutes. In Italy, legendary ex-coach Arrigo Sacchi cried out: “What kind of football is that? It doesn’t even give you joy when you win.” Liverpool legend Dean Saunders called it “parasitic football”. And on Tuesday, the quite posh Barcelona-based newspaper poured La Vanguardia a bucket full of contempt for Atlético.
What do you think of when you think about Atlético? Certainly not of the Sistine Chapel or Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the paper wrote. But? “To the plebs, roughness, street dogs, punk music, graffiti on trains” or “to the Sinaola cartel”, that is: “to tattooed crooks who are ready to die or kill for their cause”. In current football, “nothing comes closer to a terrorist attack” than that modus operandi Athleticos.
On Wednesday, Simeone sat in the stadium’s huge auditorium and, while not specifically asked about the lyrics, he said he was happy to take criticism “if it wasn’t derogatory”. Despite this, he remains true to his principles. This was also the case after the game in Manchester, when he said he was really touched that his team had “defended without any sense of shame”.
On the other hand: Simeone gives up a few puzzles after all. Speaking of Manchester City, he sounded so gracious that he could have passed for a fan of the performances of Guardiola’s teams, which have a completely different, more attacking approach. City have “an established philosophy that is accepted and applauded, with great players and a great coach.” Of course, Simeone also watched City’s duel with Liverpool at the weekend, “they play very well and very well.” But then it became clear that he couldn’t get out of his skin. Because he considered the duel between City and Liverpool not only because of the offensive game actions for a “fantastic game”, but also because both teams “had to withdraw because of the offensive talent of the other team” and with “clearly marked defensive lines”. did.
This fits with another episode from the Simeone documentary. Because Guardiola also performed there and recalled that Simeone had visited him for further training when he was coach at FC Barcelona; Simeone was just taking his first career steps as a coach in his home country.
They talked about FC Barcelona’s footballing approach, Guardiola reported, adding that Simeone interrupted him at some point: “I don’t like it, I don’t feel it.” That’s when he knew Simeone would become a great coach, said Guardiola – and took his hat off to Simeone.
And yet: The criticism of Simeone’s style, which is so brutally opposed to pep football, is currently sloshing up again because the Argentine has what is perhaps the most talented squad in his ten-year tenure. Before the start of the season, Antoine Griezmann returned from Barcelona, Brazil international Matheus Cunha joined from Berlin and Argentine midfielder Rodrigo de Paul came from Udine. But Atlético muddled through at the beginning of the season – and at the end of the year stringed together so many defeats that it slipped to fifth place in the meantime. The defensive stability wasn’t really gone, but somehow it was: the opponents shot at goal less often than ever. But they met.
“We won’t stray too far from our credo against City,” said Simeone
The result: internally it crunched. The club allowed one of Simeone’s longest-serving associates, fitness coach Óscar “El Profe” Ortega, to work out during the Uruguay national team’s international breaks. Simeone wrinkled her nose. The club, on the other hand, was upset because Simeone let the Portuguese miracle striker João Félix stew on the bench. And that had cost a fee of 127 million euros. After a crisis meeting with club boss Miguel Ángel Gil Marín and sporting director Andrea Berta, there was a communiqué in mid-February in which the club underlined that it would stick with Simeone. Six wins followed – until the 0:1 on Mallorca on Saturday.
So now City follows. “We will not stray very far from our credo,” said Simeone. But it has to be a bit more daring than last week if you want to put the ball in the opponent’s goal and win. And Simeone assured that on Tuesday too.