Diego Simeone is heading into his 14th season as Atletico Madrid manager under growing pressure, following four years without a trophy.
Simeone transformed Atletico into one of Europe’s top clubs, famously reaching two Champions League finals and winning LaLiga in 2021. However, since then, silverware has been missing, and his public focus on simply finishing in the top three is starting to clash with fans’ and the club’s expectations.
Despite his modest outlook, Atletico have spent heavily, over €350 million in the last two seasons, bringing in stars like Julian Alvarez, Conor Gallagher, Robin Le Normand and Thiago Almada. The squad also includes top names like Antoine Griezmann, Jan Oblak, and Koke.
Club CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín recently made it clear that the board expects more. “We are building a squad to dream big,” he said, adding that new investment is on the way to support their ambition.
Simeone’s position has come under greater scrutiny after Atletico’s poor showing at the Club World Cup, where they were knocked out in the group stage and lost 4-0 to PSG. Familiar issues, weak defending and lack of creativity, remain unsolved.
Now, questions are being raised about whether the highest-paid manager in Europe can still motivate his squad and lead them back to the top.
Atletico begin their LaLiga season away to Espanyol on 17 August.
