Thursday 26 May 2016 06:35, UK
Diego Simeone is famous for forging the most organised team in Europe, but as Atletico Madrid prepare for a second Champions League final in three seasons, it’s a much-changed Atleti line-up, writes Adam Bate...
When Atletico Madrid appointed Diego Simeone in December 2011, the club had just been eliminated from the Copa del Rey by third-tier Albacete and were tenth in La Liga - 21 points adrift of the leaders.
Under the Argentine they went on to win the Europa League that season and followed up by winning the UEFA Super Cup and the Copa del Rey in the 2012/13 season.
By the spring of 2014, Atletico were champions of Spain and Champions League finalists. But one extraordinary aspect of their success was how few changes were required initially - and how many alterations have been made since.
Consider the line-up from Simeone's first game in charge…
Simeone's first team: 0-0 draw v Malaga in January 2012
Atletico: Thibaut Courtois, Juanfran, Filipe Luis, Luis Perea, Diego Godin, Alvaro Dominguez, Tiago, Gabi, Diego, Radamel Falcao, Eduardo Salvio. Subs: Sergio Asenjo, Miranda, Mario Suarez, Koke, Antonio Lopez, Arda Turan, Adrian Lopez.
More than two years on and Atletico were in a Champions League final using the template of that team with six of the same starting line-up - Thibaut Courtois, Juanfran, Filipe Luis, Diego Godin, Tiago and Gabi - and 11 of the same players in the squad…
Simeone's 2014 final team v Real Madrid in May 2014
Atletico: Thibaut Courtois, Juanfran, Filipe Luis, Miranda, Diego Godin, Raul Garcia, Tiago, Gabi, Koke, David Villa, Diego Costa. Subs: Daniel Aranzubia, Toby Alderweireld, Jose Sosa, Mario Suarez, Cristian Rodriguez, Diego, Adrian Lopez.
Two years later and Simeone's side are back in the Champions League final against their Madrid rivals, but it's a new-look Atleti. In fact, only five of the 18-man squad from the 2014 final were still involved in their semi-final triumph over Bayern Munich…
Simeone's 2016 version v Bayern Munich in May 2016
Atletico: Jan Oblak, Juanfran, Filipe Luis, Jose Gimenez, Diego Godin, Koke, Gabi, Augusto Fernandez, Saul Niguez, Fernando Torres, Antoine Griezmann. Subs: Miguel Moya, Stefan Savic, Lucas Hernandez, Thomas Partey, Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco, Luciano Vietto, Angel Correa.
Conclusion
There are many players who deserve credit for Atletico Madrid's rise but having survived the losses of star strikers such as Radamel Falcao and Diego Costa among many others, it seems clear that the key to their sustained success lies in the culture that's been created.
Simeone has shown that this is no freak group of players but something more significant. So if Antoine Griezmann is the next big-money exit don't expect it be the end for Atletico. The evidence suggests that while the changes will keep coming, so will the victories.
