We’re exactly halfway through April, at the pointy end of the season, and Madrid’s “other” football team, Atletico, are still alive and kicking on two fronts. How are they keeping this up?
With apologies to Liverpool, they really are the story of this season.
Here’s an update for those who don’t closely follow the Spanish game. Atletico Madrid moved three points clear of rivals Real Madrid atop the La Liga table (and four clear of Barcelona) with a 2-0 win at Getafe on Sunday. They are the third horse who’ve managed, against all odds and expectations, to keep pace with the leaders in a perennially two-horse race.
With five matches left to play (including a trip to Barcelona), destiny is now in Atletico’s hands.
With huge global fan-bases and a favourable TV arrangement, the shadow cast by the “big two” (Barcelona and Real) in Spain has grown increasingly longer over the rest. They’ve duopolised every championship since 2004. In recent years, the final gap between second and third position has been as great as thirty points. Roughly, the support of two-thirds of Spanish fans is concentrated on those two giants.
Last summer, Real broke the all-time world transfer record as they spent £85 million to prise Gareth Bale from Tottenham. The Guardian‘s Spanish football expert Sid Lowe recently wrote: “Atlético’s annual budget is €120m, compared with €580m up the road at the Bernabéu. They are not poor exactly, but their most expensive player is the €12m Filipe Luís, signed four years ago, before belts were properly tightened. This is not really a team of stars.”
But wait, there’s more. Atletico leading the league in April is only half the story. Simultaneously, their small squad have reached the Champions League semi-final – the first time an Atletico side have done so in forty years.
The last four, a stage that much more expensively-assembled teams (including Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris St Germain, Juventus, and so on) have failed to get to.
They’ve done so with a group of men who regularly back-up with only a four-day break. Without the luxary of wholesale rotation, Atletico have played fifty-four matches and lost just five.
After knocking out Italian giants AC Milan in the round of 16, Atletico were drawn to play Barcelona in the quarter-finals. Formidable Barcelona. A team packed with World Cup winners and a fellow called Lionel Messi up front. Barcelona: veterans of six Champions League semi-finals in a row. Winners of the tournament in 2006, 2009 and 2011.
Undaunted, Atletico set about the task with ferocity. Courtesy of a Diego Costa wonder strike, they took the lead in the Nou Camp and eventually claimed a favourable 1-1 result.
Roared on by a packed Estadio Vicente Calderon in the return leg, Atletico’s eleven sprang from the blocks like frenzied greyhounds. They charged around the pitch, denying their opponents time on the ball. Barcelona’s defence was a shambles as Atletico found space in behind time and again, with pace, precision and power. They took the lead after six minutes and hit the woodwork a further three times early on.
Their famous opponents were stunned. Barca returned fire, as champion teams do, but the organised banks of Atletico resistance held out, just, to pull off an improbable 2-1 aggregate victory.
And the improbable is what they’ve been doing all season. But how?
For starters, heavy praise should be heaped on the manager, a passionate 43-year-old by the name of Diego Simeone. A distinguished player who won over 100 caps for Argentina, Simeone took over the Atletico job in the closing days of 2011. He’s since won the Europa League, Copa del Rey and UEFA Super Cup.
Simeone was known as a feisty player on the field and that tenacity has been well and truly transferred to his charges in Madrid. Atletico’s success has been built on unyielding commitment, workrate, organisation and togetherness.
Then there is the remarkable story, and the goals, of Diego Costa. Sid Lowe writes: “Five times he had been loaned out, to Braga, Celta, Albacete, Valladolid and Rayo Vallecano. His best scoring total was 10 but he has been La Liga’s outstanding player this season, scorer of 25 league goals, seven in five in the Champions League, fought over by two international teams: Spain and Brazil, World Cup hosts and holders.”
There’s also Thibaut Courtois, aged just 21, who has been solid, if not inspiring, in goals. There’s the excellent Diego Godin who plays just in front of him, at centre back. There’s Koke, just months older than Courtois, starring in midfield. There’s the hard working and skilful David Villa, deemed dispensable by Barcelona and released for a pittance. Together, they’ve formed a team so much stronger than the sum of their parts.
As Simeone put it: “We can envy other teams’ economic power but when it comes to competing we don’t envy anyone anywhere.”
Another factor has been the backing Atletico receive at their home ground, the Calderon. Fans being a team’s “twelfth man” is an overused cliché in football, but if ever there was a case of it being true, this is it.
Coach Simeone has occasionally been seen on the sidelines waving his arms around like a conductor, urging the 55,000 inside to sing louder and louder. In truth, the red-and-white hordes raise the proverbial roof regardless. See it for yourself on television when Chelsea come to town next Wednesday morning.
For as long as I can remember, Atletico have been a cursed, slapstick club. An unstable organisation whose lot, it seemed, was to naturally dither in the shadow of their celebrated neighbours (they went 22 matches without beating Real until this season). A club that have endured relegation and 46 changes of coach (including interims) since 1986.
Just 180 minutes away from a Champions League final and with the outright lead in the title race, their time in the sun is now. Captain Gabi has already described these as the best days of their lives.
Inevitably, Atletico’s small squad will be broken up by more moneyed rivals in Spain and abroad. Surely, this tale of underdog over-achievement can’t last.
But beginning Friday night, there are seven or eight games left this season for Atletico to make history. Football purists, enjoy this team while you can.
Steven McBain
Roar Guru
I wouldn't get too hung up purely on Chelsea. Plenty of teams exploit the rules. ManYoo's relationships in Belgium have been questioned as have Arsene Wenger's previous preying on young European talent. People talk about hoarding talent. Go back to the early 90s, AC Milan had Gullit, Van Basten, Rikjaard, Papin, Boban and Savicevic (bad spelling) when they were only allowed to field 3 non Italians at once, wasn't that hoarding talent? This is not a new phenomenon. It's like anything, the rules are there and people are employed to push or bend those rules in the same way that players play for fouls or dive, they exploit the rules. Football is a business and a huge one and whilst everyone can wax lyrical about the good old days and moral values, those days are long gone and it isn't going to change.
Franko
Guest
Appreciate what you are saying against Chelsea, but remember this is setting a precedent. I don't like the way Chelsea go about their work but that is their decision, nobody forced Atleti to take the player on loan and when they did so they signed an agreement. If they did not like the agreement, they could have signed another player. They could have signed Courtois from Genk before Chelsea, they could have taken another keeper on loan on conditions more favourable, they could have signed another keeper for the €6.5m they have paid Courtois like Stekelenburg, Rafael or recalled Roberto from his loan deal!
Ryan
Guest
Agreed. Amazing performance. That first 10-12 minutes against Barcelona is the best, most intense and frenzied football I have seen all year. The pressure on the ball was immense, and to think Barca couldnt even hold possession let alone string a series of passes together. Hitting the post 3 times, created countless opportunities and had Barca completely shocked. If Atletico Madrid being that same intensity early against Chelsea and they dont turn up completely switched on for the first leg, Atletico could put 3-4 past them early and essentially kill the tie.
bill boomer
Guest
Think you mean Atletico. While Bilbao are Athletic there is no Athletico .
Vas Venkatramani
Guest
Franko, I understand why the club has "every right" to contest that. But I for one am so glad that UEFA have stood up against Chelsea that continually stockpile their books with young football talent that they buy, not develop. And there are very few young players that since Abramovich came in that have made the grade at Chelsea. Instead they have been used as profit making entities. In the case of Courtois, Chelsea bought him from Genk for 7m and then loaned him out immediately to Atletico. In the ensuing three seasons, Atletico have paid Courtois' wages to the tune of 6.5m, which means that Chelsea have made only a net loss of 500,000 since buying him. Couple this with the fact that Chelsea ask for 5m from Atletico, that would mean they would stand to make 4.5m profit on a player they have bought yet never played once. While it was Genk's decision to sell the player, this, as well as Barca's recent transfer ban, is a massive and well timed slap to the face to clubs that stockpile young talent and simply move them on for profit. In the case of Chelsea, they have been accused of having a partnership with Dutch club Vitesse (owned by a fellow Russian oligarch) to loan out their players. In the meantime, Abramovich lavishes multimillion sums for premium talent for the first team, while none of these younger players get a look in. Since Abramovich came in, how many of their academy graduates/youth talent they've bought from other clubs have made the higher ranks at Chelsea? I'm not arguing against them spending big money - good luck to them. What I am arguing is them hoarding the transfer market for players they have no intent in utilising, but do it as a ploy to weaken their rivals. And that is why Courtois playing against them, and possibly beating them to a CL Final, may be the idea thing to happen.
Steven McBain
Roar Guru
Franko, I think it's a very muddy issue but the UEFA clause is along the lines of no team can do anything to exert undue influence on another's team selection. So by Chelsea saying they expect Atletico to pay millions of Euros that they can ill afford to use Courtois, that is exactly what they are doing. UEFA are saying that those clauses would be non enforceable etc. It's the whole area where UEFA starts to police what are effectively legal contracts outside of a footballing remit. The can't play against your parent is only really standard in the Premiership I think. Chelsea have said they will do nothing to stop Courtois playing. What is less clear is whether they would try to take Atletico to task over the contract. That would obviously scupper any Diego Costa negotiations so maybe a discount on him is the solution.
Franko
Guest
I think Chelsea have every right to contest that. They signed him from Genk and took the risk on the player, he is only on loan to Athletico, I thought the "you can't play against your parent team" clause was pretty bog standard.
Steven McBain
Roar Guru
Courtois will be on the pitch against Chelsea. As AZ said, UEFA have issued a strong statement. However it seems there is far more going on behind the scenes. Atletico want Courtois again next season and he wants to stay. Chelsea want him to sign a new contract also. What I understand is that he'll be allowed to stay there if he signs an extension at Chelsea. However......... That clause does exist and if Chelsea are hacked off with Atletico then I guess they don't loan him back. So talk is around 5M will get knocked off the Diego Costa price. Might all be rubbish but it's a great rumour mill at least!
Steven McBain
Roar Guru
Yep, well said, they've had a fantastic season and it would be a breath of fresh air if they could win La Liga. I'm a Chelsea fan so hoping they don't win the CL!
Punter
Guest
Amazing effort by Athetico, to compete & at present be above the 2 of biggest clubs in the world. Go Athetico.
AZ_RBB
Guest
UEFA released a statement straight after the draw saying that such loan contracts are void in European competitions. He will play unencumbered. http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2088774.html
Franko
Guest
Also, they are set to play Barca on the last day in Barca. If Atleti drop a point or two and Real gain on them Barca could find themselves in a king-maker position, lose and hand the title to Athetico, win and Real could pinch it. Still a few games to go til then though, I guess.
Franko
Guest
Considering they lost Falcao, Demichelis at the start of the season, it has been an amazing run. Be interesting to see if they play the keeper Thibaut Courtois, against his Chelsea, the club he is on loan from. According to the terms of the loan deal, they will have to either sit him out or pay €3 million per game.
Mantis
Roar Guru
How good would it be if they could hang on and win. And if Diego Costa and Koke stay....could be the start if ssomething big.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Between La Liga and the Champion's League, Atletico are most definitely the story of the season, Simon. Since Fox lost the rights to the EPL and picked up La Liga it has been Spanish football on the screens in this part of the world. Atletico's season has been amazing and we are all watching with keen interest to see if they can maintain their lead (Barcelona's wobble last weekend helped)