Certainly, for El Cholo as he is affectionately known at the club where he previously spent two stints as a player and captain, the honeymoon period is petering out as Atlético Madrid have reverted to type and fallen back into their inconsistent ways. Brought in to replace Gregorio Manzano who was sacked in December, his return was very much a case of returning home after six and a half years. A huge fan favourite, Simeone had played for Atléti twice. The first time in the mid-nineties, he was part of a side which won the double in 1996. His second stint came from 2003 until 2005, when he left in tears to rapturous applause from supporters. His reign as manager began brightly as it so … [Read more...] about La Liga: The Diego Effect
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La Liga: Atlético’s away form comes home to roost
While admitting to disastrous away form, Atlético Madrid coach Gregorio Manzano defended himself this week by reasoning “at home we are playing well”, just days before a 2-0 defeat at the Vicente Calderón to a struggling Real Betis side. The result has surely sealed the fate of yet another Atlético coach. Given the board’s dreaded vote of confidence earlier in the week, the remainder of his tenure was dependent on three home games in a week before the winter break. The first was a resounding success as Los Rojiblancos beat Rennes 2-0 in the Europa League. The second saw Atléti fail to take their chances in front of goal with two dreadful misses by summer signing Falcao early on in the … [Read more...] about La Liga: Atlético’s away form comes home to roost
What, another reason to hate Cristiano Ronaldo?
For the neutral football fan, it seems it’s increasingly hard not to dislike Cristiano Ronaldo. Just witness the abuse he receives at virtually every stadium in Spain apart from Real Madrid’s Bernabéu. There are indeed some compelling motives to feel this way. How about his huffy indignation when a teammate fails to pass him the ball when he is in space, or those carefully rehearsed poses he strikes after scoring (or even after missing). Or the reckless use of hair gel. Or, rather more damningly, an insistence on putting his own glory ahead of that of his team (such as when he refused to celebrate a Karim Benzema goal last season, after the Frenchman followed up to sweep in Ronaldo’s own … [Read more...] about What, another reason to hate Cristiano Ronaldo?
The red-and-white underdog roars
It’s not easy being an Atlético Madrid fan. There’s the administrative and boardroom chaos, the unbalanced books and the revolving door of coaches, each hailed as a saviour before being dismissed as a false prophet. There are the financial scandals from the years when Jesús Gil was president, leading to his arrest in 2000 for embezzling his own club. And then there is the ultra hooligan group, among the most violent and xenophobic fans in Europe. And that’s before you get to the football itself. Atlético has one of Spain’s most impressive trophy cabinets: nine league titles, nine Copa del Rey titles and the European Cup-Winners’ Cup. This is a European giant, albeit one which has been … [Read more...] about The red-and-white underdog roars