What Diego Simeone has achieved at Atletico Madrid since being appointed as manager in 2011 is truly magnificent to put it simply. Always playing under the shadow of cash rich city rivals Real Madrid, the Argentine manager has translated off-field organisation and meticulous planning into on-field success. A combative defender during his playing days, Simeone has inculcated the same fighting values in every member of his playing staff.
From forward Fernando Torres to goalkeeper Jan Oblak everyone knows the value of defending. The motto is simple; keep a clean sheet and you will not lose. Critics have associated the term ‘boring’ with Atleti's style of play yet the point is Diego Simeone has managed to save a dying art which is defending.
Two Champions League final appearances in three years is no mean feat and given the consistency and momentum of the team from the Vicente Calderón not many would dare to bet against Atletico turning the table on bitter rivals Real Madrid come May 28 at the San Siro in Milan.
Sky Sports’ Guillem Balague was quoted as saying shortly after Atletico's victory over favourites Bayern Munich;
"It's the hardest thing in football to have an idea, to believe in it and to convince everyone that that's the way to go.
"That's what everyone is doing at Atletico under Simeone. Every player has become a better player. Some of them certainly could play a different style - they could have more of the ball, some would fit in well at Bayern, for example - but they've abandoned that to follow the Simeone approach.
"Is it pretty? You can argue about that. Is it effective? You have to say that two Champions League finals in three years is extraordinary."
When one is in a result-oriented business, it's the result that matters and Simeone is certainly providing the results at a club which has always believed in achieving the best out of a small budget and a thriving football academy and when the Argentine is long gone from the club his ideas and values will still be embedded in the very grass root level of the institution.
People love watching Messi scoring lots of goals and Ronaldo going on a record scoring spree both domestically and in Europe but has anyone spotted the tactical genius of Simeone and his backroom staff in first rendering the fearsome Barcelona trio of Neymar, Messi and Luis Suarez toothless in the quarter-finals and more recently packing off Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich?
Atletico are not a boringly defensive unit but a well-drilled side which believes in their manager's principle of attacking from the back and where every member of the playing eleven wants to have the ball and forwards such as Torres and Antoine Griezmann dropping deep to defend in order to launch quick and effective counter attacks.
The Rojiblancos have breathed fresh air into La Liga’s Barca-Real duopoly and made Spain's La Liga enjoyable to watch and if this is boring then critics are not doing justice to Atletico Madrid's ambition in Spain and Europe.
The USP of this side is passion, team spirit and dying for their manager. Their lack in quality and class is being compensated by their brilliant work ethic, never say die attitude and fearlessness. Diego Simeone and his boys thrive on pressure cooker situations and that is why big clubs have fallen prey to a ruthless predator. For the Argentine what really matter are big hearts on big nights and he will certainly be getting that in Milan whatever the result may be.
