Diego Simeone has now been in charge of Atletico Madrid for almost seven years. That’s a very long time in modern management at the highest level, but it’s easy to see why the love affair between Simeone and Atletico has been allowed to flourish.
Simeone was announced as the new Atletico boss in December 2011, with the team down in 10th in La Liga, having finished 7th the season before. He guided them to a 5th placed finish and won the Europa League in his first season, and since then, he has never finished outside the top three, has won one league title, one more Europa League, one UEFA Super Cup, one Copa del Rey and one Spanish Super Cup, as well as reaching two Champions League finals.
Here are Diego Simeone’s first 7 Atletico Madrid signings: Where are they now?
7. Cristian Rodriguez – Penarol
A South American who won more than a century of caps for his country, Simeone brought in a fellow South American who has now also won more than a century of caps for his country in his first summer in charge at the Vicente Calderon. Hailing from Argentina’s neighbours of Uruguay, Rodriguez joined Atletico on a free transfer from Porto. A quick and determined wide man, Rodriguez made 98 appearances in two-and-a-half seasons with Atletico. He is 33 now, but has averaged better than a goal every other game back with his boyhood club of Penarol.
6. Cata Diaz – Fuenlabrada
Francisco Feuillassier of Real Madrid competes for the ball with Cata Diaz of Fuenlabrada during the Copa del Rey round of 32 second leg match between Real Madrid CF and Fuenlabrada at…
Another South American, and this time a compatriot of Simeone’s, Cata Diaz’s international debut came only a year after Simeone’s last cap for Argentina. The experienced centre-back joined the club from Getafe for 1 million euros, winning two trophies and making nine league appearances in his only season in Madrid. Now aged 39 but still going strong, the former Boca Juniors man now playing for Fuenlabrada in the third tier of Spanish football.
5. Emiliano Insua – Stuttgart
You may be starting to notice something of a theme here, and it’s another South American and another Argentine in fifth place, this time Emiliano Insua. A young left-back formerly of Boca Juniors and Liverpool, Insua joined Atletico from Sporting CP for 3.5 million euros. He could never establish himself as a regular first team player in the Spanish capital though, and now plays for Stuttgart, with whom he won promotion to the Bundesliga in 2017.
4. Emre Belözoğlu – İstanbul Başakşehir
Emre Belozoglu of Istanbul Basaksehir during the UEFA Europa League Third Round Qualifier: Second Leg metch between Burnley and Istanbul Basaksehir at Turf Moor on August 16, 2018 in…
A talented footballer with a questionable past, Newcastle United fans will remember Emre Belozoglu from his brief but interesting three-year stint at St James’ Park. A teenage sensation in Turkey, Belozoglu is an explosive central midfielder well-capable of striking a ball from range. He signed for Simeone, who had a touch of devil in him as a player himself, in 2012, but it wasn’t a match made in heaven. Belozoglu returned to Fenerbahce after a single season, and the 38-year-old now plays for Istanbul Basaksehir in the Turkish Super Lig.
3. Domingo Cisma – Moron Manager
Another Simeone signing who played barely any football for Atletico, Domingo Cisma joined the club on a free transfer from Racing Santander. A tall, attack-minded left-back who was quite dangerous from set pieces, Cisma made only 2 league appearances for Atletico, and he retired in 2017 after two seasons with Cordoba. The 36-year-old recently went into management, with a non-league Spanish outfit whose name I’m pretty sure isn’t actually pronounced UD Moron.
2. Leo Baptistao – Espanyol
Leo Baptistao of RCD Espanyol reacts during the La Liga match between Rayo Vallecano de Madrid and RCD Espanyol at Campo de Futbol de Vallecas on September 28, 2018 in Madrid, Spain.
A versatile forward with good pace and technique who can play on either flank or through the middle, Leo Baptistao was signed by Simeone from Rayo Vallecano for around £6 million. The skillful front man had a hard time breaking into the club’s starting XI due to their strength in attacking areas, and he left for Espanyol after just 11 appearances and 3 loan moves. Still only 26, Baptistao is now a regular for the La Liga side, where he scored 9 goals in 40 games last season.
1. Jose Gimenez – Atletico Madrid
Five out of the seven players in this seven hail from the continent of South America, and Jose Gimenez is both the second Uruguayan, and the first player who is still with Atletico Madrid to feature. An inspired signing by Simeone and his scouting team, Gimenez was just a teenager when he arrived in Madrid for less than a million euros. Now aged 23, he is well on-course to become one of the most assured centre-backs in world football, and he has already made 124 appearances for the Mattress Makers.
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