Football is ultimately about romanticism.
We love certain teams, coaches and players who will never meet us. We long for the best eras we had at a football club and compare and contrast them with whatever we have now.
Managers who picked up a club up by the horns and dragged them to success through insurmountable odds are revered the most. And probably none more than Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid.
Battling the two dominant Spanish sides in Barcelona and Real Madrid, the Rojiblancos won two La Liga titles and got to two Champions League finals where they were unlucky to lose. But that was years ago.
It’ll be five years since the last La Liga win and major trophy. The grass isn’t always greener but the Argentinian has a contract running out.
Simeone is the club’s most iconic figure, possibly of all time. The exit regardless of when it happens will be painful. El Cholo took over the club when he was 41, for a manager that is fairly young but Sir Alex Ferguson was 45 when he took over the Manchester United job.
Which begs the question. Will Simeone ever leave Madrid?
Inter Milan links
Curiously, Simeone’s contract expires in 2027. And yet, there have been no rumours, news or conjecture about whether he will renew or not.
There doesn’t seem to be a panic from the manager or the club. He renewed his contract in November 2023 when it was due to expire in 2024, taking a wage cut in the process.
Even after this wage cut, Simeone remains the highest paid manager in the world. But it hasn’t stopped him referencing that he will one day manager elsewhere.
In truth, the only concrete club Simeone has mentioned managing is Inter Milan. The Argentinian has a beloved history with the Italian club and called his time as a footballer there the best of his career, talking them up before Atletico’s Champions League clash last season.
“In my coaching career, I can imagine myself managing Inter one day,” he said.
“It doesn’t depend just on me but I think it will happen.”
The salary difference at Inter Milan with the amount of money in Serie A would be significantly less. But the Nerazzurri would likely jump at the chance if it was to arise again in a couple of seasons.
With Simeone being a former player and the passion of a club like Inter Milan, the two would go hand in hand. But the opportunity may have passed them by, when Simone Inzaghi departed.
Would anyone do better?
In elite football management, you don’t want to constantly change managers. All the top clubs, bar Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, have fallen under this trap. It’s why Real Madrid struggle to hire a manager that isn’t Zinedine Zidane or Carlo Ancelotti.
Atletico Madrid have the manager that got them into the elite, that isn’t easy to do. Only Jurgen Klopp, Mikel Arteta and Mauricio Pochettino can be hailed for turning sleeping giants into a consistently elite clubs.
But it isn’t just about what Simeone has done in the past. Atletico’s ownership cares a lot about reaching the Champions League each season. Simeone has done exactly that with Atletico in all but his first season in charge.
He’s built Atletico Madrid’s riches that have been poured back into the squad. But this has led to belief that he can do better than just qualify for the Champions League.
Since Carlos Bucero took over as sporting director in 2024, Atletico Madrid have spent €350million on new players. Simeone needed to build a new team, but there is a feeling of familiarity with the current crop.
A club that has had brilliant success that should be cherished by their astonishing manager. But could they thrive instead of survive with a fresh pair of eyes?
The players have never betrayed Simeone and it’s tempting to look at how Atletico could play without him. Simeone has always favoured pragmatism even when possessiong a plethora of good attackers.
Then again, it just feels like too much of a risk. Simeone is still championed by fans and of course, he should be. Look at how much Manchester United struggled in the wake of Sir Alex.
Atletico Madrid have more financial power but nowhere near the might of Real Madrid and Barcelona, who can attract any footballer.
When you look at the complexities of the situation, you almost don’t want to imagine Simeone anywhere else.
One day Atletico Madrid and the tenacious manager will part ways. But, for now, we should marvel at his achievements and assume that they are still the best fit for one another.