Diego Simeone
The manager who broke the duopoly and made Atlético Madrid a La Liga contender.
Diego Pablo Simeone González, nicknamed "Cholo", has been the manager of La Liga club Atlético Madrid since December 2011, making him the second longest serving professional manager in Europe. He is an Argentine professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. Simeone has had his biggest managerial success with Atlético Madrid, turning the team into a competitor for the La Liga and breaking the Real Madrid–Barcelona duopoly. He is the longest-serving manager in La Liga, having stayed for well over a decade at Atlético.
Quick Facts
- Full name
- Diego Pablo Simeone González
- Born
- 28 April 1970
- Birthplace
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Height
- 1.77 m / 5 ft 10 in
- Position
- Midfielder
- Current club
- Atlético Madrid (manager)
- Total caps
- 515
- Total goals
- 84
Lore & Background
Simeone's connection to Atlético Madrid began as a player. He was part of the team which won the double of the Liga title and Copa del Rey during the 1995–96 season, serving as the club's captain. In total, he played in 165 matches for Atlético, scoring 31 goals. After returning to the club as manager in December 2011, he won Atlético their first derby against arch-rivals Real Madrid in 14 years in the 2013 Copa Del Rey final at the Santiago Bernabeu. He has since won La Liga twice, the Copa del Rey, two UEFA Europa Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, as well as being runner-up of the UEFA Champions League twice.
Reader's Guide
When Diego Simeone took charge in December 2011, he didn't just inherit a squad; he forged a fortress. Having already etched his name into club history as a tenacious midfielder during the 1995–96 double-winning season, 'El Cholo' returned to rewrite the narrative of Spanish football. His philosophy turned the team into a competitor for the La Liga and broke the Real Madrid–Barcelona duopoly. Simeone didn't just win games; he restored pride, identity, and a terrifying fearlessness to the Colchoneros.
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