Simeone's conditions to remain as Atletico Madrid manager
Diego Simeone put his Atletico Madrid future in doubt on Saturday after losing the Champions League final to Real Madrid. “It’s the moment to think about it,” he admitted after the Rojiblanco lost out to their city rival for the second time in three years in a European final.
Simeone feels it’s a “failure” to have ended the last two campaigns without a title, even though throughout his tenure at the Vicente Calderon he has won five trophies: La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Europa League, the Spanish Super Cup and the European Super Cup. Those honours and the results he has achieved make him one of the most sought-after coaches on the 'market', even though his contract runs until 2020.
Despite being in the running in La Liga and the Champions League until the end of the season, the Argentine believes the moment has come to mix things up. And he will only continue at Atletico if they can guarantee various top level signings.
One of the conditions put on the table by Simeone in order to continue is the return of Diego Costa, who under his orders became one of Europe’s top strikers between 2012 and 2014. In his two seasons with El Cholo, he scored a total of 56 goals in 96 games.
An impossible dream? Atletico’s repeated attempts to bring him back - the most recent in January - have fallen on deaf ears. Chelsea have resisted the urge to sell him. Costa is happy with the arrival of new manager Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge, too, who has promised him an important role in the team.
Swimming against the tide in their attempts to sign the Spain international, Atletico are managing several alternatives in an attempt to convince Simeone to stay. On their list are Sevilla’s Kevin Gameiro and Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette. Other options are Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain) and Gonzalo Higuain (Naploi), although the chances of the latter, especially, are remote because of his elevated cost.
Some of these matters could have been on the table in Tuesday’s meeting between Natalia Simeone, the sister and agent of the Atleti coach, and the club’s CEO, Miguel Angel Gil Marin. Both were caught on camera by Antena 3 leaving the Calderon.
And later in the day, around 3,000 fans made their way to the stadium to ask that Simeone stays. They sung his name and and chanted in favour of the Argentine, an idol for every single Atletico fan.
