Atletico Madrid pipped their bitter rivals Real Madrid to the league title as they came from behind to beat Real Valladolid 2-1 on Saturday.
The victory means Atleti are champions of Spain for the second time since Diego Simeone took charge of the club, and this one is arguably an even bigger achievement for the Argentine coach than his first title back in 2013/14.
Atletico Madrid were 10th in La Liga and a whopping 21 points off the top of the table when they appointed their former midfield star Diego Simeone as their new boss in 2011.
Fast forward ten years and Atletico Madrid are celebrating their second title in eight years, a monumental achievement up against the global conglomerates that are Real Madrid and Barcelona.
What Simeone has done at Atletico Madrid is nothing short of a miracle, the side from Spain’s capital finishing in La Liga’s top four in every full season under El Cholo, after finishing ninth and seventh in the two seasons prior to his appointment.
Simeone’s trophy haul as Atletico manager speaks for itself: 2x La Liga titles, 1x Copa Del Rey, 1x Supercopa de Espana, 2x Europa Leagues, 2x UEFA Super Cups.
Atletico Madrid’s 2013/14 league title was a historic moment for the club, but this league win is perhaps an even bigger achievement for Simeone, particularly given he has had to dismantle his initial title winning side and completely rebuild.
Simeone’s 2013/14 title winning team was packed full of players in the mould of El Cholo, the likes of Diego Godin, Gabi, Juanfran and Diego Costa, but with Koke and Jose Maria Gimenez the only players remaining from that squad, it is impressive how Atleti have managed to reincarnate themselves.
Suarez shows he still has plenty to give
The recruitment of Luis Suarez has played a big part in Atletico’s title success, with the former Liverpool and Barcelona striker scoring 21 times in La Liga this season, including the goal that made certain of the title against Valladolid.
It has been that kind of shrewd recruitment that has served Atleti so well over that last ten or so years, acquiring talented players at low costs and, in most cases, selling them on for huge profit.
Atletico Madrid winning La Liga is a story we should all revel in, a side taking on two of football’s biggest superpowers in Real Madrid and Barcelona, and getting the better of them, twice.
Whatever you feel about the state of Spanish football at present, the fact remains that Real Madrid still made it to the Champions League semi-finals, while Villarreal face off against Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday.
La Liga is by no means an inferior league, and Atletico Madrid winning this renewal is nothing short of incredible.
Diego Simeone has taken a team drowning in a sea of mediocrity and underperformance, and has singlehandedly transformed them into one of football's most respected and revered teams; into a superpower.
Simeone will go down in Atletico Madrid folklore, and rightly so. Is there a better manager on planet earth than El Cholo?
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