Diego Simeone
Argentine midfield warrior turned legendary Atlético Madrid manager.
Diego Pablo Simeone González (born 28 April 1970), nicknamed 'Cholo', is an Argentine professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He has been the manager of club Atlético Madrid since December 2011, making him the second longest serving professional manager in Europe.
- nickname
- Cholo
- primary_position
- Midfielder
- era
- 1987–2006 (Playing), 2006–Present (Managerial)
- major_achievements
- Copa América (1991, 1993), FIFA Confederations Cup (1992), Artemio Franchi Cup (
- leadership_role
- Captain of Atlético Madrid and Argentina National Team
- legacy_status
- Second longest-serving manager in Europe
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
When Simeone was 14, his youth coach Victorio Spinetto nicknamed him 'Cholo', as his energetic play reminded him of former Boca Juniors player and Argentine international Carmelo Simeone (no relation) who possessed the nickname.
In Their Own Story
On the international stage, Simeone earned 106 caps for Argentina, becoming the first player to reach that milestone with an appearance against Venezuela in March 2002. He captained the team at the 1998 World Cup, where he famously simulated an injury after David Beckham kicked him in retaliation for a foul, leading to Beckham's red card and Argentina winning on penalties. Simeone later admitted to the simulation, describing himself as a 'warrior' who aims to give everything. His international trophy cabinet includes Copa América victories in 1991 and 1993, the 1992 FIFA Confederations Cup (scoring in the final against Saudi Arabia), and a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics as one of three overage players. He also won the 1993 Artemio Franchi Cup, netting Argentina's third penalty spot kick after a 1–1 draw with Denmark.
Reader's Guide
Simeone won the Copa América in 1991 and 1993, the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1992, and the 1993 Artemio Franchi Cup.
Did You Know?
- Simeone is the first footballer to earn 100 international caps for Argentina.
- He captained Argentina at the 1998 World Cup.
- He won a domestic double with Atlético Madrid in 1996 and another domestic double with Lazio in 2000.
- As a manager, he won the Argentine Primera División with both Estudiantes and River Plate.
More in Legendary Players & Icons
Related in Boca Juniors
Links follow this subject's own source article.
Elsewhere in the Boca Juniors universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record