His team is the most surprising equipe of the whole continent, and not since yesterday, nor the day before. Los Colchoneros, alias Club Atlético de Madrid, have been thriving for years, despite Real Madrid’s and Barcelona’s (as well as the Spanish League’s) attempts to cannibalize la Liga, transforming a 20-teams tournament into a bloody, boring duel. Atlético have been the “odd team out”, the annoying mother-in-law meddling with the two spatting spouses, who have been feeding off of each other’s hate forever.
Since Simeone joined the Rojiblancos, in 2011- and after spells as a coach in Argentina and in Italy, Catania-, he won a UEFA Europa League and a UEFA Supercup beating the European Champions Chelsea 4-1. Last year, they won the Copa del Rey at the Bernabeu against the Special One’s Real Madrid, and finished third (best result since 1996) in the league, behind, guess who? Husband and wife… The true miracle, however, is what the Argentine trainer is doing this season, making his team a true, credible contender to the Liga title.
Yet, those of you who saw him play will not be surprised, as his team simply resembles the player he used to be. A player who grew up between Argentina, Italy and Spain, and who always left his (positive) mark, wherever he went.
From a technical standpoint, Simeone was a gritty defensive midfielder, with good technical skills and a great ability to score important goals, thanks to his perfect timing and strength. In a Q&A session with FIFA.com, he defined himself as “perseverant”, and believed that his biggest asset was that of “being aware of his strengths and weaknesses, so as to show the former and conceal and improve the latter.” What made him stand out of the bunch, though, was his mental toughness. His charisma together with his leadership skills, allowed him to have an unusually fast transition from player to coach.
“He was already a coach during his playing career”, said Gigi Simoni, his former coach at Inter. “It was fairly easy to foresee a successful managing career for Diego. He had charisma both on the pitch and in the dressing room.”
The beginnings. A 17-year-old Cholo (this nickname was given to him by his primary school teacher Oscar Nesi, and “it just stuck”) started off his career at Velez Sarsfield, one of the many local teams of Buenos Aires, his hometown.
After only a couple of years in professional football, he receives the “once in a lifetime call”, that would change his life, as well as his career. He was in his agent’s office, when, “Riiiing, riiiiing”. Silence. His agent picks up. “Quien es”?, who was it, asks Simeone. “Italy. They want you at Pisa. Wanna go? You have 40 minutes to decide.” In less than half the time of a football game, young Simeone has to answer a “Who wants to be a Millionaire” kind of question, only he had no help option from home.
He was walking nervously around the apartment, when he found the answer he was looking for. He stares at the wall and the son of wind appeared. No, not Aeolus, he’s the God of wind, plus he wasn’t so fast! It was Claudio Caniggia, wearing two colors Diego would soon fall in love with: the black and blue striped jersey of Atalanta. Same colors of Pisa: just a coincidence? Who knows and who cares. Diego Simeone is off to Italy, to start his career in European football.
Facing relegation. His first season was unlucky, as the Tuscans were relegated, and after failing to go back up, Simeone was sold to Sevilla in Spain, despite 55 games and 6 goals between Serie A and Serie B. But at that point, his career had already taken off for good.
The Andalusian club was just an intermediate stage that brought him to Atlético Madrid as a player in 1994, for three successful seasons, in which he would start planting the seeds of his future comeback as a coach. In 1995-96, in fact, he leads his team to an unprecedented national double, including a league victory in a 22-team Liga tournament, beating Valencia and Johann Cruyff’s Blaugrana dream team. It was Simeone’s most prolific season: 12 goals in 37 matches, numbers worthy of a decent striker.
Back in Nerazzurro. At the time though, la Liga wasn’t the best league a player could dream of. Serie A was, and el Cholo felt he had a score to settle with il Belpaese. That’s why he accepted Massimo Moratti’s offer to become the leader of Inter’s midfield, and wear the most noble nerazzurri colors. He joined a team that was a mix of old foxes - Bergomi, Pagliuca, Berti -, great players at their peak- Djorkaeff, Zamorano, Moriero, Winter-, and young, rising stars- Zanetti, Kanu, Recoba-, built around the brightest star of all: Ronaldo Luis Nazario da Lima, il fenomeno.
And it would be precisely the relationship with Ronaldo to hinder Simeone’s career at the shadow of the Madonnina just a year later, as the two strong, opposite personalities clashed, forcing Inter’s management to choose between il fenomeno’s easygoing, fun-first, “football is just a game” and “I don’t need to train like my teammates” attitude, and el Cholo’s demanding, “always give 100%” mentality. In Milan Simeone feels the pressure of playing for a club with high expectations, which hasn’t won a title in nine years. But el Cholo won with Atletico after a 19 years drought, so he knows what he’s doing. After a slow start and a few boos from the stands, he has his breakout game, and what a game: the Milan derby. Simeone, together with Ronaldo (what a shame they couldn’t get along!), leads the team to a 2-2 draw, and most importantly the reticent player that had played until then, was gone forever leaving place to the warrior he was known to be.
After a successful first campaign, the second year was disastrous. The team wasn’t performing at all, despite Roberto Baggio’s addition. And the first problems between Simeone and the club arose. It all happened amid a void of power in the team, since three different coaches (Simoni, Lucescu and Castellini) were sacked by the impatient owner, before the fourth (Mr. Roy Hodgson) could hand-walk the team until the end of the season.
Simeone vs Ronaldo Diego Pablo Simeone was probably the first and only Argentinian to find himself on the losing end of a locker-room power struggle during the Moratti era. The reasons? Firstly, the albiceleste colony was still somewhat scarse; secondly, his opposition had the likes of the best footballer on planet Earth; finally, Moratti himself was a key factor and judge. Il presidente had just named R9 captain of the team because, "he is the face of the club now."
Given this lack of authority, players felt the right to express their view on the club and the season that had just ended. It was Ivan Zamorano to open Pandora's box: "With all due respect towards Ronaldo, who is a fine kid, Simeone is more of a leader and should have been named captain of the team." As we know, things turned out in a different way.
When he lands in Rome, Lazio had just lost the Scudetto despite an eight point lead vs. Milan. It would have been the first Scudetto since 1973-74. Instead of breaking down, however, the team reacts and thanks to Simeone’s winning header in the clash with Juventus as well as to some heavenly rain in a mid-May afternoon, Lazio manage to win their second Serie A title in history coming from behind. As he did with Atlético, Simeone would complete the national double by winning the Coppa Italia against Inter, in the game that made the headlines due to Ronaldo’s tears after his first, terrible knee injury, happened curiously in front of a shocked Simeone. But this isn’t why Moratti regretted his decision.
Il 5 maggio Two years later, in 2002, Lazio was right in the middle of the batch. It was the 5th of May, last matchday of the season. They hosted Inter, which were at the top, one point ahead of Juventus. Inter were still to win their first Scudetto since 1989. Despite a lack of motivation, and despite the fact that Lazio ultras were openly supporting for the nerazzurri (Roma could still technically win, as they stood two points behind Inter), Lazio won the game 4-2, a game that would make football literature in Italy, forever known as “il 5 maggio”. It would be Ronaldo’s last game with Inter, ended on the bench, in tears in front of Simeone, again. What was even more painful was to see el Cholo score the third, decisive goal: a dream-breaker dagger right into the fan’s hearts. He almost said sorry, but he was always a professional, and just did his job.
He would end his career with a second spell in Madrid and then in Argentina, for Racing de Avellaneda, where he would start his training career immediately after he hang up his boots.
Simeone’s football life revolved around just a few important clubs and colors, and there’s not a single one of his former fans who wouldn’t dedicate a standing ovation to him if they were to meet him as an opponent. This is probably the best indicator of the type of player he once was, and the man he still is: loved by many, respected by all.
If Velez represented the beginning, the ones with Atlético and Lazio were his longest and most successful stories. During an interview, los rojiblancos and the biancocelesti were defined by the reporter as “the teams of his heart.” Simeone stopped him and said, “Don’t forget Inter!”. The truth is, the nerazzurri represent an unfinished business to el Cholo: two years weren’t enough, and that’s why he is to be believed if he says he will be back.
In the meantime, dear Cholo, welcome back home and enjoy your derby.
Monday, February 17 th, 2014
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