The final of the 2014 UEFA
Champions League, on Saturday May 24, will be the
fifth one-country final, and Atletico Madrid’s first Champions League final in
history.
Diego “El Cholo” Simeone has single handedly
transformed a team that was falling behind before his arrival in 2011.
The season before Simeone, Atletico finished 7th in La
Liga, and was eliminated from the Copa
Del Rey as well as the Europa League in group stages.
Simeone’s philosophy dubbed
“Cholismo” is bringing soccer back to its roots by focusing on the idea of “the
team” rather than the individualism of star players.
Atletico Madrid does not have a
Cristiano Ronaldo or a Lionel Messi. They have a €123 million budget in
comparison to rival Real Madrid’s €515 million budget for the 2013-2014 seasons.
“El Cholo” isn’t going to let
financial limitations stop him from winning the 2014 Lisbon final, which he has
already proved by winning the 2012 Europa League and Super cup, along with being
the new La Liga champions.
So what’s the secret behind the
Argentinian’s success?
Inspiration
In Simeone’s official biography titled,
“El Efecto Simeone” (The Simeone Effect) by Santi Garcia Bustamente, the
Atletico manager states that a successful manager must be able to not only
motivate, but wholeheartedly convince his players that they CAN win and WILL
win, even with the odds stacked against them.
In the book, Simeone looks back at
his time in Argentina with Estudiantes, and refers to a specific example during
the 2006 final between Boca and Estudiante.
“I told
the fans; whoever doesn’t believe we can play a final with Boca shouldn’t come
to the stadium.”
His more challenging obstacle came
later, when he had to convince center back Alayes to hold down a faster and
significantly more talented Palacio.
“I didn’t
know exactly how to go about because I knew the look in his eyes was right.
Palacio was way better, but there was no other option. So I took Alayes and
said, ‘You’ll get him, you’ll see. Don’t even let him turn around.’”
Alayes ended up playing a fantastic
match and Estudiantes became champions after a 23 year long title drought.
When Atletico Madrid reached the
UEFA Super cup final in 2012 against Chelsea, the English side was the
favorite, but it made no difference to the Atletico coach.
“I needed
to convince them that Chelsea wasn’t invincible. If there is a 1 in 100 chance
we were going to take it.”
2. Equality
What Simeone looks for in his
players is 100% dedication to the collective goals of the team. If everyone is
committed to the same idea, you can do big things. If there are cliques or
diversions within a group, everything falls apart.
“I always
ask my players, what kind of season do you prefer? One where you play all the
matches, but you finish lower on the table and out of all major competitions?
Or do you prefer to play 20 matches out of a total of 38, score 8 goals, and
the team is crowned a champion? It never fails. They always choose the second
option. ”
Moreover, Simeone is quick to
eliminate any form of “top-player” self-entitlement or superiority. Most teams
have their players eat at round tables in groups of 4-5. The players usually
sit together based on nationality, interests, or experience and don’t share
these specific moments with the rest of the group.
“Everybody
at Atletico sits together at a long table. This way, they can’t avoid looking
at each other in the face. There are no secrets. Everybody together, everybody
talks.
3. Adaptability
When Simeone was asked about his
strategy for the 2013-14 seasons, he answered, “we are going to do this
match-by-match.”
“Match-by-match” means no fixed idea
or strategy but rather adapting to changes that come into play. Similarly,
Simeone takes the same stance when deciding his starting eleven.
“I don’t
want players who want to be the main characters. If you don’t give it you’re
all and I can feel it, someone else will take your place. Nothing is
guaranteed, and if you fall asleep, you’re out.”
The Argentinian especially admired
the rotation strategy of manager Sven-Goran Erikkson during his playing days at
Serie A side Lazio, alongside the talents of Inzaghi, Nesta, Veron, Nedved, and
Boksic to name a few.
“It didn’t matter who played, we all knew there was a teammate who would
take our place at any given moment and this is how we won the Serie A title for
the second time in the club’s history, a Super copa Italiana, and a European
Cup in 1999-2000.”
Above all, what makes Simeone an
attractive leader is his character. He is remembered as a hot- tempered yet
passionate player who gave it his all in every match, and is now transmitting
the same attitude to his players. Although he is a legend at Atletico Madrid,
he will be remembered moreso as a coach because of the fantastic legacy he will
leave behind.
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