Matheus Cunha is already history at Atlético de Madrid. The Olympic champion with Brazil, who arrived with the jewel of Rio de Janeiro soccer, leaves after scoring 7 goals in 54 games. Another attacker who leaves the Metropolitan without meeting expectations and sending a message to Simeone for his lack of opportunities.
But more relevant than the striker’s message is the reflection of the player’s father, who affirms something that has already been heard in the stands: “In Simeone’s system there is no way for any attacker to prosper.” Beyond the football value of his son Matheus, who will leave 40 million in the coffers (he is going on loan and Wolverhampton will pay 50 million in June of which 10 million will go to Hertha), the list of strikers who have left Atlético through the back door begins to be wide: Cunha, Gelson Martins, Jackson Martínez, Raúl Jiménez, Gameiro, Moussá Dembelé, Kalinic, Alessio Cerci, Vietto… Footballers with different profiles who also came to the club as bets from the sports management and the coach. The profile of the players who have succeeded with Simeone has more to do with that of footballers with guarantees who arrived at Atlético with a consolidated past like FalcaoVilla, Manzukic, Griezmann o Luis Suarez.
The bets have not finished going out to a Simeone who does not seem to have the necessary patience, or the time given the club’s demands, to go carving these footballers. There are cases that powerfully call for reason, such as that of Jackson Martínez, who arrived from Porto after paying 35 million. The Colombian scored 92 goals in three seasons thanks to his exuberant physique. He had opportunities, since he played 22 games in which he scored only three goals, and in February Atlético sent him to China, after receiving an offer of 42 million from Guangzhou.
Nor has Simeone had any luck or patience with youngsters like Luciano Vietto, the young man whom he made his Racing debut at the age of 17 in 2011. Cholo recommended his signing on several occasions, but Villarreal went ahead. There he scored 20 goals before being transferred to Atlético for 20 million in 2015. However, Vietto did not meet expectations and only scored three goals as a rojiblanco. He was transferred to Sevilla, Valencia, Fulham and finally included in the operation to sign Gelson Martins, another fiasco. The Frenchman did not bite his tongue when talking about his time at Atlético: “It didn’t go well because I didn’t get along with Simeone. There was no chemistry and it was complicated. He was a difficult coach with very complicated game ideas ”.
Raúl Jiménez was another striker who did not understand him. He arrived in Spain from America at the age of 23 to fight Mandzukic, Griezmann and Fernando Torres for the position. Simeone endorsed his signing, but then came to place Raúl García in his position before the Mexican. A goal throughout the season ended his story with Cholo, to later go to Benfica and Wolverhampton, where he has claimed to be a striker with more personality and goals.
talent vs work
The case of Alessio Cerci is paradigmatic. He arrived at the Calderón in the summer of 2014 as a talented striker after two good seasons at Torino. He played ten games, scored a goal and ended up diagnosing his problem himself: “I was wrong to bet everything on talent. At Atlético I couldn’t express myself like in the two years at Torino. There I had a coach like Ventura, who gave me everything, understood me and allowed me to bring out my qualities. I was wrong to think that talent could be enough to play in the Champions League. I had to work harder.”. Cerci was always grateful to Simeone, despite not having opportunities and not being up to the task.
A case reminiscent of Joao Félix, who came to Atlético stigmatized by the price paid for his transfer: 126 million euros. A player of indisputable talent, like Cerci, the Portuguese will leave in January because, unlike the Italian, his relationship with Simeone is nil. Joao has made the decision to leave on his return from the World Cup, an initiative supported by Cholo, who has categorically opened the door for him: “I want the best for Atlético de Madrid. Everything that can happen will happen, nobody is essential. Nobody”. Mendes and Gil Marín are working on an immediate exit either with a transfer, something complicated because Atlético wants to recover the investment by setting a starting price of 100 million, or with a transfer that will help the club to gain time and get rid of a problem in the dressing room.
600 games and eleven seasons later, Simeone continues to wear stripes and maintains his work ethic Stakhanovite, while enduring that reputation as a difficult coach for the forwards that persecutes him. Either due to lack of patience, due to a requirement that the attackers are not used to, or due to bad luck. It seems clear that Atlético’s next bet should be a striker more similar to Mandzukic than to Joao Félix, closer to Suárez than to Cerci. More esparto than velvet. And, above all, goal. That sweat goal
