Champions League: How Atlético Madrid is reinventing itself

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Diego Simeone: »The characteristics of your players mark the way«

Photo: Oscar J. Barroso / imago images / ZUMA Wire

Coincidences have already changed the world, in history and in football anyway.

It can also help to see not only an imposition but also a challenge in circumstances like the current pandemic.

When Diego "Cholo" Simeone, coach of Atlético Madrid, recently tinkered with his line-up again due to ailments and overload, he struggled to do something that he had only done in extreme emergencies in his nine years at the club.

He changed the system.

The Argentine's scratchy 4-4-2 seemed as safe as the next tax bill.

But now football Spain watched in amazement as Simeone operated in a formation with three central defenders and advancing winger players.

The fact that it was last in the difficult games against FC Barcelona and in Valencia to victories with the most original of all Atlético results - 1-0 each - increases the credit of the reform.

Just like the fact that Yannick Carrasco, one of the wingers, became the match winner.

In specially launched surveys, an overwhelming majority of fans advocate keeping the new arrangement.

So today against FC Bayern in the Champions League (9 p.m.; TV: Sky; live ticker SPIEGEL.de).

The Munich team have already been confirmed as group winners and leave Manuel Neuer and Robert Lewandowski at home.

For Atlético, however, after only five points so far, a lot is at stake.

If Lokomotiv Moscow wins against Salzburg beforehand (6:55 p.m.; stream: DAZN), Atlético would no longer have progress in their own hands in the event of a defeat.

A win, on the other hand, would mean qualification for the round of 16 if the Russians slip up.

Simeone swept away all system questions the night before, and over the years he has not exactly become more informative.

But apparently more flexible.

It almost seems as if Simeone is inventing a new style for himself.

Suddenly up to 68 percent possession

His team defends higher, the midfield is no longer limited to destruction.

The traditionally counter-strong team can now combine precisely through the opposing ranks and recently had never seen ball possession rates.

Against Barça it was 46 percent, where the average in the previous 28 games against the Catalans during the Simeone era was 31 percent.

Away in Valencia, on the other hand, the opponent was downright constricted thanks to 68 percent possession.

That doesn't mean that Atlético suddenly started playing hurray football.

Defensive stability remains non-negotiable for Simeone.

It is not for nothing that the seven wins and two draws from nine games in the domestic league can be explained with only two goals conceded.

In the Champions League, Salzburg managed just as many (3: 2) in a single evening, and FC Bayern doubled in the first leg (0: 4).

Two draws against Lok Moscow (1: 1 away, 0: 0 at home) followed.

It remains to be seen whether Atlético's new recipes are also suitable for Europe.

With the old ones, they made two finals in 2014 and 2016 and the Spanish championship in 2014.

It was the first years of "Cholismus" in which Atlético started on four times the budget of the big clubs Real and Barcelona.

At that time, it was justifiably considered an epoch to become competitive at the highest level: it is still Simeone's key historical achievement, for which Atlético will forever worship him almost as ritually as his compatriot Maradona in Naples.

Today's captain Koke is still from the championship team, who at the age of 28 played a remarkable 470 competitive games for the club.

As well as Diego Costa, 32, the now permanently injured striker.

The other grandees are gone, and their successors may still not have the iron character of Diego Godín or Gabi Fernández.

But often more playful class.

"I don't understand how they can play football with the quality they have," said Liverpool's Jürgen Klopp after his colleague Simeone bricked him out of the Champions League last season with a vintage defensive battle.

But also internally, the coach was advised to play a more dominant style.

"We feel more comfortable when we press in front and have possession," says the currently outstanding midfield engine Koke, but adds diplomatically: "We'll still keep the (old) philosophy of running a lot and withdrawing."

The starting point was the signing of Luis Suárez

Simeone himself attributes the new wealth of variants to the transfer of the king in the summer: "Everything begins with the presence of Suárez," said the coach of the FC Barcelona striker Luis Suárez.

Diego Costa and Álvaro Morata - meanwhile switched to Juventus Turin - would have their strengths in space.

"Luis, on the other hand, needs more teammates close to him." In principle, it is the same for all coaches: "The characteristics of your players mark the path."

Suarez was unable to attend due to Covid in the past few weeks.

The biggest beneficiary of the increased presence in the opposing half is João Félix, who bought the 127 million euros in the previous summer.

Instead of having to deal with long passes far from the goal, the Portuguese high-tech technician comes to the ball contacts near the penalty area that a player like him needs.

With seven hits, he has already scored almost as many as in the entire previous season (nine).

"We're attacking more, you all wanted that," sums up central defender Stefan Savic, who is more of the old school.

"Marca" writes about "Cholismus 2.0".

So far, he has also lived from the surprise effect, and in any case, new ideas at Simeone often only last until the next earnings crisis.

It remains to be seen whether the wind of history really blows over Atlético.

Or just a revolutionary breeze.

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