Atletico Madrid News
Aston Villa ready to offer ‘succulent’ transfer fee for Atletico Madrid midfielder
After a fairly slow start to life in the Spanish capital, Geoffrey Kondogbia has grown into a vital part of the Atletico Madrid setup.
The 29-year-old midfielder was signed from La Liga rivals Valencia in 2020 and had a difficult initiation period at the Wanda Metropolitano. However, he has steadily developed himself into a vital player for Diego Simeone.
A powerful midfielder, the former Inter Milan and AS Monaco star has shown his versatility by often slotting in as a centre-back this season. Kondogbia, so far, has featured 61 times for Atleti, scoring once and setting up two more.
However, his time at the club could come to an end in the summer transfer window amid interest from the Premier League.
A report from GOAL España has claimed that Aston Villa are interested in signing Kondogbia from Atletico Madrid this summer. They would be willing to pay a ‘succulent’ transfer fee to secure the signing of the 29-year-old.
However, the report also adds that Kondogbia is happy at Atletico Madrid.
But there could be a willingness from the club’s part to offload the former Sevilla ace. Boubacar Kamara is likely to arrive on a Bosman deal from Olympique Marseille on a free transfer.
With Koke, Rodrigo De Paul, Marcos Llorente already at Simeone’s disposal and young Javi Serrano expected to step up next season, Atletico might need to offload a player from their midfield unit.
With Aston Villa willing to pay a handsome fee to sign Kondogbia, he could be the one who Simeone & co. decide to part ways with in the summer window. Even if Atletico decide to sell him, the club would likely demand a hefty sum for his services.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for the 29-year-old, who has rebuilt his career successfully after a spell of decline during his time at Inter Milan.
Atletico Madrid News
UEFA open investigation against multiple Real Madrid players over celebration vs Atletico
More than two weeks after Real Madrid’s controversial win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16, UEFA has sent quite the shockwave to the defending European champions.
In a recent statement, UEFA has announced they have started an open investigation against a series of Real Madrid players for the way they celebrated after winning against Atletico Madrid, about two weeks back.
What is the investigation about?
As reported by MARCA, the European governing body is specifically looking into the actions of Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Dani Ceballos, and Vinicius Jr.
The controversy stems from Real Madrid’s celebrations after knocking out city rivals Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
The celebrations took place near the section of the stadium occupied by Real Madrid supporters, but some actions by the players have drawn scrutiny.
“A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of indecent conduct by Real Madrid CF players (Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Daniel Ceballos Fernandez and Vinicius Junior) during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 match between Club Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid on 12 March 2025,” UEFA said in an official statement.
Rudiger is being investigated for a gesture in which he placed his hand around his neck, while Mbappe reportedly made an inappropriate gesture by touching his genitals.
Vinicius, on the other hand, was involved in heated interactions with Atletico fans both before and after the match, while Ceballos was seen enthusiastically joining the celebrations.
The celebrations from Real Madrid players drew hostility from Atletico Madrid fans for obvious reasons, with the opposition fans resorting to throwing bottles on the pitch.
Jude Bellingham was even among the ones hit by these throwing objects from Atleti fans while Vinicius pointed to the Real Madrid crest on his shirt, which might have played a role in further fuming tension.
Rodrygo, on the other hand, responded to the hostility from Atleti fans by dancing inside the pitch.
UEFA has appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to review the incidents, although it is very much likely that Real Madrid would appeal against any sanctions placed on the event of any breach.
