Diego Pablo Simeone González (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈdjeɣoˈpaβlosimeˈone];Italian:[ˈdjɛːɡosimeˈoːne,ˈdjeː-];[5][6] born 28 April 1970), nicknamed "El Cholo" ([elˈtʃolo]), is an Argentine professionalfootballmanager and former player who played as amidfielder. He has been the manager ofLa Liga clubAtlético Madrid since December 2011, making him the second longest serving manager in Europe currently. He is considered one of the best managers of the 21st century.[7]
Simeone has had his biggest managerial success with Atlético Madrid, turning the team into a competitor for the La Liga and breaking theReal Madrid–Barcelona duopoly. He has won La Liga twice, theCopa del Rey, twoUEFA Europa Leagues, twoUEFA Super Cups, as well as being runner-up of theUEFA Champions League twice. Simeone is the longest-serving manager in La Liga, having stayed for well over a decade at Atlético. He won Atléti their first derby against arch-rivals Real Madrid in 14 years in the 2013 Copa Del Rey final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
When Simeone was 14, his youth coachVictorio Spinetto nicknamed him "Cholo", as his energetic play reminded him of formerBoca Juniors player and Argentine internationalCarmelo Simeone (no relation) who possessed the nickname.[8]
He went on to play three more seasons in Rome, which included more last day drama as Simeone's goal against former club Inter on the last day of the2001–02 campaign effectively ruined his old employers' title dream.[14]
After cancelling his contract with Lazio,[15] Simeone returned to Atlético Madrid in 2003,[16] spending his next two seasons there. In total, he played in 165 matches for Atlético, scoring 31 goals. In December 2004, it was confirmed that he would leave Europe and return to Argentina to finish his playing career withRacing Club.[17]
In 1992, Simeone represented the Argentina under-23 team at the1992 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament in Paraguay, which saw Argentina fail to qualify for the 1992 Summer Olympics.[18]
He featured in midfield in Argentina's second round tie againstRomania at the 1994 World Cup, contributing toAbel Balbo's goal, who scored from the rebound after Simeone's shot had been saved, although he could not prevent Argentina from being eliminated from the competition following a surprise 3–2 defeat.[27] During the round of 16 of the 1998 World Cup,England'sDavid Beckham was sent off for kicking Simeone in retaliation for a foul (see alsoArgentina–England football rivalry); Argentina won the match on penalties. Simeone later said he simulated the injury from the kick in order to get Beckham sent off.[28]Sports Illustrated was critical of the Argentinian's theatrics in that incident, stating Simeone first delivered a "heavy-handed challenge" on Beckham and then "fell like a ton of bricks" when Beckham retaliated.[29] In the following round, against theNetherlands, Simeone was injured by a tackle fromArthur Numan during his team's late 2–1 defeat.[30] In the 2002 World Cup, his last, Argentina was eliminated in the group stage,[31] which included a 1–0 loss to England in which Beckham converted a penalty.[32]
Simeone was regarded as a tenacious, versatile, hard-working and complete two-waymidfielder who was mobile, good in the air, and capable both of winning balls and starting attacking plays, while also having a penchant for scoring several goals himself. This enabled him to play anywhere in midfield throughout his career, although he was usually deployed in thecentre in abox-to-box ordefensive midfield role.[33][34][35] He was also used in anoffensive midfield role on occasion, even if it was not his optimal playing position, due to his ability to get forward, in addition to assisting his team defensively.[36][37] During the 1998 World Cup, he was also deployed as a left-sidedwing-back in the round-of-16 match against England.[38] A talented yet combative player, he was primarily known for his leadership, tactical versatility, intelligence, strength and stamina,[39] although he was also praised by pundits for his technique, vision and passing range.[33][39] Simeone once described his hard-tackling playing style as "holding a knife between his teeth,"[33] and likening himself to a "warrior, a fighter who aims to give everything."[20] His main inspirations as a player were Brazilian midfielderFalcão and German midfielderLothar Matthäus.[40]
Simeone ended his playing career for Racing Club, playing his last match on 17 February 2006, and then became manager for the same team. After a rough start, the team made an impressive finish in the 2006 Clausura. When a new club president was elected, Simeone left Racing in May 2006 and was replaced byReinaldo Merlo.
On 18 May, Simeone became head coach ofEstudiantes and soon led them to their firstleague title in 23 years after defeating Boca Juniors 2–1 in a final match played on 13 December 2006. In an October 2006 poll in the sports dailyOlé, Simeone was voted as the best manager in the Argentine league.[41] He was also praised as a "born manager" by former Argentine internationalRoberto Perfumo.[42] Simeone left Estudiantes after the end of the 2007 Apertura, where Estudiantes was not a contender after a poor start, but had a strong finish of nine games without defeat. On 15 December 2007, Simeone was unveiled as the newRiver Plate coach, succeedingDaniel Passarella. The contract was reported to be for one year, starting on 3 January 2008.[43] After an early elimination in theCopa Libertadores, losing toSan Lorenzo in the second round, Simeone and River Plate went on to win the2008 Clausura championship after beatingOlimpo 2–1 in theMonumental.[44] On 7 November 2008, Simeone announced his resignation as coach of River Plate after their elimination in the quarter-finals of the2008 Copa Sudamericana by Mexican sideChivas and a poor run of form of 11 domestic matches without a win, which left them bottom of thePrimera División Argentina with only six matches remaining.[45][46] On 15 April 2009, Simeone joined San Lorenzo to replaceMiguel Ángel Russo following the club's exit in the first round of the2009 Copa Libertadores.[47] On 3 April 2010, Simeone resigned from San Lorenzo due to poor results and mounting criticism.[48]
On 19 January 2011, Simeone flew toSicily to join Serie A sideCatania, replacingMarco Giampaolo, who left the club just hours earlier.[49][50] On 1 June 2011, Simeone left his post after helping Catania stave off relegation.[51] On 21 June 2011, Simeone was named as the new coach of Racing Club for a second spell in charge, replacing Miguel Ángel Russo, who had resigned the week prior.[52]
On 31 August 2012, his Atlético side won theUEFA Super Cup after defeatingChelsea 4–1 at theStade Louis II in Monaco. In thedomestic league, the team made an impressive start to the season, finishing the first half in second place, behind onlyBarcelona and above city rivalsReal Madrid. Eventually, Simeone led the team to a third-place finish in the league, which at the time was the best finish in 17 years for Atlético. On 17 May 2013, he won theCopa del Rey after Atlético defeated rivals Real Madrid 2–1 at theSantiago Bernabéu.
Atlético Madrid celebrates after winning the2013–14 La Liga. Simeone can be seen in the back of the photo.
Atlético began the2013–14 season with a similar squad to their prior season, despite selling star playerRadamel Falcao toMonaco for a reported €60 million fee. They also acquiredDavid Villa from Barcelona on a free transfer.[54] While the season began with a defeat toBarça in the2013 Supercopa de España, the team recorded eight-straight victories inLa Liga, the best league start in club history. This included a 1–0 away win at the Santiago Bernabéu against Real Madrid, making Simeone the first Atlético manager sinceClaudio Ranieri in 1999 to record a league victory there. Atlético finished the first half of the season in first place in La Liga, level on points with Barcelona at 47. Inthe last round of the season, on 17 May, Atlético needed at least a draw in theCamp Nou against Barcelona to be crowned champions for the first time since 1996, while a loss would give the title to Barcelona. ADiego Godín header from a corner kick in the 48th minute gave Atlético an equaliser and the draw they needed to win their tenth league title and first since 1996, when Simeone himself was an Atlético player.
Simeone became the second Argentine manager afterHelenio Herrera to hand Atlético a Spanish championship, and the second manager afterLuis Aragonés to win it both as a player and as a coach of the team. Under Simeone, Atlético collected 90 points in La Liga, surpassing its 1996 record of 87, making the 2013–14 season the most successful in club history.[55]
Also in 2013–14, Atlético finished top of theirChampions League group and qualified for the quarter-finals with a 5–1 aggregate win overMilan in the round of 16. This was the first time they had reached the Champions League quarter-finals since1996–97, when Simeone played for the team. In the quarter-finals, Atlético defeated Barcelona 2–1 on aggregate from Simeone's tactic of cutting the swift-passing midfield of Barcelona in two, thus denying them space and isolatingXavi andAndrés Iniesta from forwards Lionel Messi andNeymar. In the semi-finals, Atlético defeatedJosé Mourinho's Chelsea 3–1 atStamford Bridge following a goalless draw at home to reach theChampions League final for only the second time in club history, the first being in1974.[56] Atlético was the only undefeated team in the Champions League prior to the final, recording nine wins and three draws, and had the best defence in the competition, conceding only 6 goals in 12 matches.
In thefinal on 24 May 2014, Atlético facedcity rivals Real Madrid at theEstádio da Luz inLisbon. Despite leading from Diego Godín's header, Atlético conceded a late equaliser in the 93rd minute of the match. The goal hampered Atlético's morale, and the team ended up losing 4–1 after extra time, with Simeone losing the opportunity to be the third Argentine coach to win the Champions League, afterLuis Carniglia and Helenio Herrera. After the final goal, Real Madrid'sRaphaël Varane kicked the ball towards Simeone, causing Simeone to run onto the pitch in anger. He was sent to the stands, and Varane was booked for the incident. Reflecting, Simeone said, "I also made a mistake with my reaction. He's a young guy with a bright future."[57] Simeone also admitted a mistake in selecting strikerDiego Costa to start the match, as he had been recently injured and was forced off after eight minutes.[58]
Before the start of the 2015–16 season, Filipe Luís returned from Chelsea with the team also acquiring Montenegrin defenderStefan Savić and Belgian midfielderYannick Carrasco. Mario Mandžukić left forJuventus. In 2015–16, Atlético was the team with the best defensive record in Europe's "big five" leagues, only allowing 18 goals scored against them in 38 La Liga games. Atlético was also the team with the most clean sheets in their games. The team was contending theleague title until the last fixture against Barcelona and Real Madrid, settling for third with 88 points.
In theUEFA Champions League, Simeone led Atlético to their second Champions League final in three seasons, becoming the first Argentine manager sinceHéctor Cúper to reach two Champions League finals. Atlético had defeatedPSV on penalties during the round of 16, beat defending champions Barcelona 3–2 on aggregate and favourites Bayern Munich 2–2, going through on away goals, setting up a repeat of the 2014 final again facing Real Madrid. The match ended 1–1 after extra time leading to a penalty shootout.Juanfran was the only player to miss his kick, enablingCristiano Ronaldo to score Real's last spot kick, condemning Atlético to a second Champions League final defeat in three seasons.
Simeone in 2017
In the summer of 2016, Atlético purchased forwardKevin Gameiro fromSevilla, midfielderNicolás Gaitán from Benfica, and defenderŠime Vrsaljko fromSassuolo. They also acquired the rights to Fernando Torres (previously on loan from Milan). The team again finished third in theleague and lost in theUEFA Champions League semi-finals, again to Real Madrid.
2017–21: Second Europa League and La Liga victories
On 5 September 2017, Simeone extended his contract with Atlético for two more years, until June 2020.[59] In the2017–18 season, Atlético would finish in second place in La Liga, behind Barcelona but ahead of city rivals Real Madrid.[60]
In the 2018–19 season, Atlético boughtThomas Lemar fromMonaco[63] andRodri fromVillarreal,[64] and in January 2019 acquiredÁlvaro Morata on loan from Chelsea,[65] while longtime team captain Gabi signed for Qatari clubAl-Sadd before the start of the season.[66] The team again finished second in theleague behind Barcelona and ahead of city rivals Real Madrid. In theChampions League, they advanced to the first knockout round, where they were eliminated byJuventus, winning the first leg 2–0 at theWanda Metropolitano but losing the return leg 3–0 in Turin.
Simeone guided his side into the last 16 ofUEFA Champions League for the sixth time since he came to reign in 2011, while before his arrivalAtlético had only done so seven times in 60 years.[67] On 11 March 2020, Atlético Madrid eliminated the reigning European champions Liverpool with a 3–2 triumph after extra-time atAnfield, winning 4–2 on aggregate, afterSaúl secured a 1–0 first-leg win in the reverse via a 5th-minute strike.[68]On 27 June 2020, Simeone won his 195th game in the top-flight of Spanish football as Atleti beatAlavés 2–1 on Saturday. With the triumph, the Argentine has overtaken the club legend,Luis Aragonés (194), as the manager with the mostLa Liga wins in the club's history.[69]On 7 July 2020, Simeone overtookJohn Toshack as the third coach with the most games managed at a single club in the history of the top-flight of Spanish football during Atleti's match againstCelta Vigo, his 323rd game in La Liga. OnlyMiguel Muñoz (Real Madrid, 424) and, the club legend,Luis Aragonés (407) remain ahead of him.[70]
After a 4–0 away defeat toBayern Munich and many injuries to key players in November 2020, Simeone modified the formation of his squad by introducing a three-man defence for the first time in his tenure coaching Atlético. In this formation, Carrasco played as a wing-back, with left centre-backMario Hermoso being instructed to also cover the left-back position when Carrasco moved forward, which made the formation tactically flexible between a three-man and four-man defence.[74] After the formational change, Atlético were solidified defensively and began a streak of victories, including a 1–0 home victory against Barcelona. This streak propelled the team to a ten-point lead over Real Madrid and Barcelona in the2020–21 La Liga title race by February. However, a series of bad results from February to April meant that Atlético were eliminated from theChampions League byChelsea and Real Madrid closed the league gap to two points before the final matchday, meaning Atlético needed a victory in the last La Liga round to win the championship. Thanks to a Suárez goal in the 67th minute, Atlético Madrid managed eventually to win their second La Liga title under Simeone, after a 2–1 away win overReal Valladolid on the final match day.[75]
On 8 July 2021, Atleti announced their extension to Simeone's contract until 2024, and in the same announcement it was also made known that the members of his coaching staff had also renewed their contracts.[76]
On 9 November 2023, Simeone extended his contract with Atlético Madrid until 30 June 2027.[77] Later that month, on 28 November, he managed his100th Champions League match in a 3–1 away victory overFeyenoord, becoming the third manager to achieve this feat with one club followingAlex Ferguson andArsene Wenger.[78] On 23 November 2024, he managed his 700th match with the club in all competitions in a 2–1 victory overAlavés.[79]
Simeone's preferred formation is the4–4–2, which he first practised when he was manager ofEstudiantes in 2006. In this formation, the two wingers move inside and act like attacking midfielders, creating space for the full backs and fluidity in the attack, effectively being a 4–2–2–2 when the team is on the offensive. The two holding midfielders provide the defensive muscle needed to win midfield battles. Utilizing this formation, Simeone's Estudiantes won the2006 Apertura by beatingBoca Juniors 2–1 while being down to ten men from the first half. It is essentially this formation that Simeone also utilizes at Atlético Madrid. Simeone has listed his coaching influences beingMarcelo Bielsa,Sven-Göran Eriksson,Alfio Basile,Victorio Spinetto,Luigi Simoni,Carlos Bilardo andRadomir Antić.[80]
When he was manager at River Plate, a team graced with the attacking talents ofRadamel Falcao,Alexis Sánchez,Ariel Ortega,Mauro Rosales,Diego Buonanotte,Augusto Fernández andSebastián Abreu, Simeone played an aggressive 3–3–1–3 formation reminiscent of those used by influential manager (and Simeone's mentor)Marcelo Bielsa.[81] Using this formation, River won the2008 Clausura, but in the next season, with Sánchez having returned toUdinese and several players suffering from injuries, the 3–3–1–3 backfired and River finished bottom of the table, with Simeone being sacked in the process.[82]
A common feature of Simeone's teams is defensive compactness and quick counter-attacks. Their defending consists of two stages: deep defending in their own defensive third in a narrow 4–4–2 consisting of two closely connected defensive lines of four players, and counter-pressing in their opponents' third to win the ball high up the pitch. When the ball is won, the team attack as a unit, deploying their fluid 4–2–2–2 formation, with the forwards often shifting to the flanks to create even more space.[83][84] In defense, the key idea is to force opponents into wide areas, gain numerical dominance in the ball's zone and steal the ball or force the opponent into a backward pass.[84] Counter-pressing consists of reducing an opposing team's space, disrupting their build-up and reducing the number of "safe" positions for opponents' movement on the pitch, thus eliminating goal threats.[84]Claudio Ranieri'sPremier League-winning2015–16 Leicester City team has been compared to Simeone's Atletico Madrid for upsetting bigger teams by also playing a narrow 4–4–2 and being compact in defense and midfield.[85][86]
In the short time he managed Italian side Catania in 2011, he switched between a 4–2–3–1 and a 4–3–1–2 in order to bring out the best from playmakerAdrián Ricchiuti while employing many of the counter-attacking features that would later become his trademark at Atlético. Ricchiuti was tasked with linking the midfield and attack and creating chances for whichever ofMaxi López,Gonzalo Bergessio andFrancesco Lodi were selected up front. Simeone said he did not want to "fossilise [himself] with a rigid tactic," saying managers cannot have a favourite formation "for the simple fact that we have to adapt not to what we like but to what we have to work with".[87] His players stayed compact and narrow when defending, with the wide men – two ofEzequiel Schelotto,Giuseppe Mascara,Raphael Martinho andAlejandro Gómez – expected to drop back and tuck in when out of possession; meanwhile, playmaker Ricchiuti and the central striker – more often than not López – moved back into midfield rather than pressing the centre-backs, with the aim being preventing simple passes into the middle of the pitch.[87]
Simeone is also renowned for his attention to detail and quick adaptability to a game's changing situations. During his time as manager of Atlético Madrid, he has placed emphasis on creating chances from set-pieces, while not allowing the opponent to create chances fromset-pieces. Several important goals, including the one that gave Atlético the 2014 La Liga title, have been scored from set-pieces.[88] While his teams aren't known for controlling possession, they are lauded for controlling the pace and space in which a game is played. He is quick in making tactical changes to influence a game's outcome. In the2015–16 UEFA Champions League semi-final against Bayern in Munich, with his team down 1–0 after 45 minutes, he movedSaúl Ñíguez from the right wing to a holding midfielder position, changing the 4–4–2 to a 4–1–4–1 formation withYannick Carrasco andAntoine Griezmann on the flanks. While on paper Saúl was seemingly out of his normal position in this role, in effect this change meant that midfieldersGabi andKoke, who were overwhelmed in the first half by Bayern's pressure, would now be shielded by Saúl's presence behind them, and the midfield would regain its much-needed composure. Eventually, the change had the desired outcome, with Atlético equalizing through Griezmann and advancing to the Champions League final.[89][90]
Simeone has also earned praise for instilling confidence and discipline in his players, which has helped his teams emerge victorious under adverse conditions. For example, in the last game of 2014's La Liga, at theCamp Nou against Barcelona, when Atlético needed a draw to win the championship, bothDiego Costa andArda Turan were taken out of the game due to injury in the first half, and Barcelona opened the scoring. However, Simeone was able to rally his team at half-time and Godin's header in the second half gave them the much needed draw. Simeone said: "At half-time I told them to be relaxed. In the first half we did well. I knew if we scored, it would cost them. That's what happened. There was an amazing collective effort from everyone."[91]
During a leg in the2017–18 UEFA Europa League semi-final againstArsenal at theEmirates, Atlético were playing without key players Diego Costa,Juanfran,Filipe Luís andVitolo, and in the 10th minute,Šime Vrsaljko was sent off with a red card, followed by Simeone being also sent off. Despite playing with ten men, without their manager at the bench, with most players in makeshift positions, and enjoying only 24% of ball possession, the team lost neither its shape nor its composure, eventually holding out to a 1–1 draw that was enough for them to progress to the final.[92] "Simeone taught us to enjoy suffering," Arda Turan said in 2015, supporting this feeling that the Argentinean coach is a man who takes the best things out of bad situations.[81] Diego Godin has also said about his manager: "The players would die for him [Simeone]. He gives belief that we can compete against much bigger teams. We have great confidence in him, we are with him to the death and also he with us – and that shows on the pitch. I believe the whole team has confidence in the coach and we all know the path we have to take: he marks the way for us and we go with him until the death. That is how you achieve things."[93][94]
In the 2020–21 season, amidCOVID-19 and injury crisis among the team's forwards, Simeone experimented with back three formations, such as 5–3–2 and 3–5–2.[95] This saw them adapt to a new, more possession-heavy style, averaging the majority of possession over the season for the first time since their victorious 2013–14 season.[96]
^abThe matches against Slovakia League (22 June 1995, Mendoza), in which Simeone scored 1 goal, and against Poland B League (20 June 1996, Tucumán), in which Simeone also scored 1 goal, were originally considered full international matches by the Argentine FA, but later removed from the list of official matches.
^Blair Newman; Luca Hodges-Ramon; Richard Hall; Franco Ficetola; Mark Neale; Emmet Gates (24 January 2017)."The 50 best young footballers in Italy".The Guardian. Retrieved15 February 2017.
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