Atletico Madrid News
Diego Simeone facing increased internal criticism at Atletico Madrid following UCL exit
Diego Simeone has been at Atletico Madrid for so long that it is impossible to fathom one without the other. In his 11 years at the club, the Argentine manager has seen unprecedented peaks and made the Spanish outfit a top-tier European club.
However, all good things come to an end and one knows that Simeone must eventually part ways with Atletico one day. Considering the team’s poor form this season, that day may not be far.
According to reports from Pedro Fullana, there is increasing criticism of Diego Simeone’s management in the inner circle of Atletico Madrid. The board is worried about certain aspects of the head coach’s ideology including his management of the squad and the performance of the team.
While the pressure on Simeone has been increasing over the past few months, the team’s elimination from the group stage of the UEFA Champions League earlier this week seems to have catalysed the process.
The 2022/23 season has been sub-par for Atletico Madrid so far by all standards. The team are eight points behind leaders Real Madrid and five points behind Barcelona on the La Liga standings.
Further, they have been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League and risk missing out on even the Europa League should they lose to Porto in their next European game.
Joao Felix, whom the club invested on heavily, has been completely marginalised by El Cholo, which could be another reason for the club to question his methods.
Amidst the rising scrutiny, Simeone seems unfazed by the situation. But the coming weeks will be crucial in deciding the fate of the Colchoneros’ season as they begin their Copa Del Rey campaign and face relatively easy fixtures in La Liga.
The pressure on Simeone is real and could pose dire consequences if he fails to wake up and smell the coffee.
There is no doubt that Atletico Madrid are bracing themselves for a busy summer ahead as they look to address the future of some of their star players. One of them is Saul Niguez, who has fallen out of favour under Diego Simeone and could leave the club.
A recent report from Mundo Deportivo has offered an update on the future of the Spaniard, suggesting that the player has once again become a market attraction.
The versatile star was on loan at Chelsea last season, but his spell at Stamford Bridge was far from ideal, as he featured in less than 500 minutes of league football. He returned to Atletico Madrid in the summer, and even though he wanted to leave the club, a move did not materialise.
Saul was even linked with a move away from Atleti in January. But Valencia, who were interested in him at the time, could not afford the deal, particularly because of the player’s salary and transfer fees.
The report from Mundo Deportivo states that Valencia have retained their interest in the player. But in addition to Los Che, Saul has been targeted by two other Spanish teams in the form of Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla.
Rayo have expressed the desire to sign Saul in the coming season. But they are likely to face economic difficulties in funding a move for the midfielder. The same can be said for Sevilla.
Saul’s current contract at Atletico Madrid expires in 2026, a deal that was agreed when the player was at his peak. But the long contract has now come back to haunt Atleti, as they desperately look to get rid of the Spanish international.
With his suitors likely to face financial trouble in weighing up a move, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Saul in the coming summer.
Saul is not the only Atletico Madrid player facing an uncertain future, with Axel Witsel’s father also hinting at a possible exit recently.
