Following the sacking of Gregorio Manzano, Atletico Madrid have already found their replacement. Diego Simeone was named Atleti’s new manager on Friday, giving him and the board plenty of time to get on the same page before the January transfer window opens and La Liga resumes. Atletico Madrid currently sit a disappointing 10th in the La Liga table.
Diego Simeone Hired By Atletico Madrid Following Gregorio Manzano Sacking
Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan departed Atleti in the summer, but the board brought in adequate enough replacements that 10th place was simply an unacceptable standing at the winter break. 40 million Euros was spent on Radamel Falcao, while Diego, Gabi and Arda Turan were all added to the team, giving them what should have been a formidable front line. However, Falcao has been the only consistent goal scorer and the team's defensive record is poor.
Simeone could be an ambitious young hire for Atleti or a cheap band-aid. How much they support him and how long-term of a plan they have remains to be seen. Simeone is just 41 years old, but his record in management is impressive. He’s won titles in Argentina with both Estudiantes La Plata and River Plate. This past season in Argentina, he guided Racing Club to an impressive second place finish and also had the second best defensive record in that league.
Before taking the Racing job, Simeone was a quick fix at the end of the 2010-11 season at Catania in Serie A. He did well to help the team avoid relegation and left that job after just six months. He doesn’t have a history of long-term employment with any club, but he’s succeeded everywhere he’s gone thus far, exceeding expectations while in charge of clubs in both Argentina and Italy.
Simeone played for Atletico Madrid in two different stints, appearing in over 130 league matches for the club. He won a double with Atleti in 1996, as they captured the La Liga title and the Copa Del Rey. In his playing career, he was capped 106 times by Argentina.
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