After drawing 1-1 at home to Elche, Atletico Madrid has only picked up one point from the first two rounds of the La Liga season. The recent results under Diego Simeone can only be described as "disappointing".
The tide of public opinion surrounding Simeone at Atletico has shifted. This season, he has secured all the players he desired, oversees a management system centered entirely around himself, and earns a top-tier coaching salary globally—yet none of this has translated into the results Atletico had hoped for.
There is no denying that Simeone is one of the most significant figures in Atletico Madrid’s history. When evaluating his current performance, his past achievements cannot be overlooked: he transformed a directionless team into a formidable force capable of challenging the dominance of La Liga’s two powerhouses (Barcelona and Real Madrid). The two La Liga titles won in 2014 and 2021 are a testament to his traditional football philosophy, which emphasizes dedication, sacrifice, and team spirit. For Atletico during that era, these qualities were more than enough to compete at the highest level.
Simeone gradually became a mentor for the ideology of "another way of understanding life". Mantras like "Take it one game at a time", "Effort is non-negotiable", and "Prefer efficiency over flair" once resonated deeply at the Vicente Calderon (now the Wanda Metropolitano). In a way, this was a powerful response to the media dominance of the other major club in the capital (Real Madrid)—a club that grew increasingly uncomfortable with seeing its "younger rival" find its voice.
However, as time has passed, this spiritual inspiration has been fading. Criticism from Atletico fans has been mounting, particularly over the past two seasons. Having managed the capital club for over 14 years, the Argentine head coach—who has long held full authority over transfer decisions—has been handed a more star-studded squad than ever before: last summer saw the arrivals of Gallagher, Alvarez, Le Normand, and Solbakken; this summer, the team has added even more reinforcements including Baena, Almada, Cardoso, Hanzko, Raspadori, Ruggeri, and Puebla. A total investment of 363 million euros over two years has inevitably raised expectations for the team.
Statements like "We are a working-class team" or "The lads gave it their all" no longer hold weight—and Simeone knows this well. As a result, last season was deemed a failure, and the start to the new season has been even more disastrous: against mid-to-lower-table sides like Espanyol and Elche, picking up just one point from a possible six means the alarm bells have officially rung, whether the Argentine coach is willing to admit it or not. Only Simeone himself knows what he learned from the season’s opening match. The only silver lining of last Saturday’s draw with Elche may be that it laid bare the urgent and extensive improvements the team still needs to make.
This was supposed to be the most anticipated season in the club’s history, boasting the most luxurious squad ever assembled—one that deserves a far more impressive start than this. Now, everyone is waiting for an answer: can Simeone turn things around with his signature style, or by any other means? A dramatic atmosphere already hangs over the Wanda Metropolitano—and it’s only August.
