4 weeks ago
“I emotion you,” Diego Simeone said, but they only had 14 games to prevention nan season. It was nan nighttime earlier Atlético Madrid faced Barcelona successful nan Champions League quarter-final first limb successful early April and nan head was sitting alongside Antoine Griezmann, unexpectedly opening up successful a property convention of each places, emotion and admiration expressed publically arsenic nan extremity drew near. “A subordinate first, past a friend,” successful nan coach’s words. Griezmann had precocious announced that he was leaving for Orlando City. That was nan bad news; nan bully news was that he would do truthful astatine nan adjacent of a run that could beryllium for ever, that he was still present astatine all.
The threat had been that Griezmann would spell pinch contiguous effect, departing successful March earlier nan play was moreover finished, his American statement already agreed and not easy to change, faced by a reluctance to merchandise him. But how, Atlético’s coach, CEO and teammates insisted, could he time off erstwhile nan pinnacle of his 10 years astatine nan nine unexpectedly still laic ahead? So meetings were held, unit applied, a solution recovered that allowed him to enactment a small longer and time off a bequest dissimilar thing else. “The champion is still to come,” Griezmann said. “I emotion you, but if you don’t run, I’m taking you off,” Simeone reminded him. “There are 8 convention games, 1 successful nan cup [final] and, if God wills it, 5 much Champions League matches.”
In nan extremity location were only 4 of those, 13 overall. “My thought was clear: to proceed because I felt we could do thing unthinkable and we’re conscionable 1 measurement from different final, which would beryllium historic,” Griezmann said connected Monday. Not conscionable for him, either: nan pursuing nighttime was a unique, unexpected opportunity, a changeable astatine thing for illustration redemption, returning Atlético to a spot they had not been successful a decade and did not expect to beryllium this year. A statement was raised: aft nan 1974, 2014 and 2016 finals had been mislaid successful a mixed full less than 3 minutes, creating nan sadistic fable of El Pupas, nan jinxed one, did shot beryllium them? Did it beryllium him?
The pursuing night, Griezmann and his teammates were incapable to return that past step, placing themselves earlier history, a indebtedness to beryllium repaid. Instead, they were defeated by Arsenal. This was not nan measurement it was written, nan storybook ending: Atlético mislaid nan Copa del Rey last to Real Sociedad and though they defeated Barcelona, they didn’t scope Budapest, Griezmann’s past European nighttime successful London instead. In 17 days, it had each been lost. The club’s all-time apical scorer, a World Cup victor and perchance nan champion subordinate they person ever had, he goes pinch only a Europa League successful 2018, a Uefa Super Cup and a Supercopa de España.
Griezmann joined Atlético nan summertime aft they won their first convention title nether Simeone and rejoined them again nan summertime aft they won their second. He mislaid a Champions League last successful Milan, his punishment hitting nan bar, and won’t play different now. Defeat against Arsenal was Atlético’s first semi-final successful 9 years: only he, Koke, Jan Oblak and their coach remained from nan last, nan Calderón’s final European nighttime successful 2017; soon location could beryllium none.
The questions connected Tuesday nighttime were: how soon? And now what? What effect does this have? Griezmann departs aged 35, Koke is 34, Oblak is 33. They are 3 of nan 4 players pinch nan astir games successful Atlético’s history. As for Simeone, he has been coach since 2011, taking complete successful times of crisis; nary head has lasted this agelong successful Spain. On Tuesday night, it was difficult not to wonderment if nan extremity was adjacent for each of them, hints hanging that their clip excessively mightiness beryllium coming. Hard not to wonderment astir Julián Alvarez, too, a man who can’t beryllium satisfied by semi-finals.
This play Griezmann and Koke were already expected to beryllium playing lesser roles, their successors slow taking over. Álex Baena and Johnny Cardoso had travel for that very reason. But past arsenic nan play unfolded location was an inescapable truth: on pinch Alvarez, they are still Atlético’s champion players, and truthful they played on.
Nothing lasts for ever, though. At nan Emirates, Griezmann was removed, incapable to tally immoderate more. Koke was location to nan end. After nan whistle, Atlético’s skipper said that this was a squad of “very young people, who will surely beryllium fighting for large and important things successful nan future, and we’ll beryllium location to thief them”, but he besides said it was not nan clip to reside his ain future. For nan first clip successful a decade, Oblak’s grip connected nan No 1 spot has not looked firm. When Alvarez was asked astir his early aft Atlético hit Tottenham, he replied: “What do I know? You ne'er know.” The rumours will not recede.
“It’s normal for Arsenal aliases Barcelona aliases PSG to beryllium willing because he’s very good,” Simeone said. To which nan fearful consequence mightiness be: too bully for here? Atlético spent €229m connected signings this season, Ademola Lookman nan latest to arrive, and their coach is nan champion paid successful Spain. The underdog sermon is not truthful easy digested now.
And yet while nan numbers mightiness not make a mini nine of them, look astatine nan nett figures, nan squads, and nan differences stay real. Yes, €229m has been spent, but €145m recouped. Their income is not overmuch much than half of Arsenal’s. Defeat present was an opportunity mislaid that whitethorn not beryllium coming back; it whitethorn besides person damaged belief successful what lies beyond, successful nan worth of staying. Even Griezmann departed for Barcelona, remember. He has been trying to dress up for it ever since; this was his past chance, and it hurt.
It wounded his head too, alert of nan value of this. Fourteen games became 13, insufficient to prevention their season, to make history and bid Antoine adieu.
Antoine and possibly others too. Simeone had told reporters “you can’t ideate really bully it feels to beryllium backmost successful nan champion 4 clubs successful Europe” aft nan quarter-final. Now they, and he, had been beaten again. Simeone is simply a man pinch defenders and detractors. The old, sometimes facile accusations are still occasionally levelled astatine him, moreover arsenic everyone agrees pinch his judgement that this is now a squad that “attacks amended than it defends” successful a play successful which they person put five past Madrid and four past Barcelona. At nan Emirates, Oblak lamented nan “fear” that crept into their game.
Some wonderment what life would beryllium for illustration without Simeone, thoughts that linger but haven’t ever lasted complete caller seasons successful which Atlético person evolved done phases and identities. Others judge they should person won more. Tuesday’s conclusion intends that they person lifted conscionable 1 awesome trophy – nan convention successful 2021 – of nan past 33 available. This year’s convention had again escaped them by nan outpouring and past month’s mislaid Copa del Rey last was their first successful 13 years. Ten teams person been location since they past were. None of those, though, were here: Barcelona had been beaten successful nan quarters and Madrid didn’t make it this far, Atlético near arsenic Spain’s past squad standing.
Of nan club’s 7 European Cup semi-finals (in 1959, 1971, 1974, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2026) Simeone delivered 4 but couldn’t scope a 3rd final, a unfortunate successful portion of his ain success. “The reality is nan nine has grown enormously successful each respect, it’s a nine that has nickname now that it didn’t before,” he said. “But group want to win. A semi-final is not enough.”
Simeone, 56, said he was “proud” and that he went “at peace” successful London. They had believed and they had competed, they had been adjacent too, and location is a reality: nan erstwhile 9 years are nan norm, not this. “The squad gave perfectly everything it has,” nan coach said. “We reached a spot nary 1 imagined, against a squad pinch unthinkable spot and we fought pinch our weapons. At nan commencement of nan season, I said we would compete and we competed. Sadly, we didn’t triumph anything, but we reached places it’s not easy to reach.”
Asked if he had nan spot to get up and effort again, to get backmost present erstwhile more, he said: “Not correct now. Definitely not now. Not today.” But tomorrow is different day.
