Is Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone period coming to an finish after derby loss spotlights rising issues?

When greatness turns into pallid, when the extraordinary turns into extraordinarily extraordinary, it is nearly at all times a tough story to inform.

The rationale that Hans Christian Andersen’s fable of “The Emperor’s New Garments” continues to be well-known right this moment, the one the place the king loses sight of actuality and is conned by weavers into carrying nothing in any respect but the dominion’s topics extend his humiliation by saying nothing, is not simply to show us a lesson concerning the societal urge to fawn on the ft of the excessive and mighty. One a part of this morality story additionally explains that it could really feel awkward, ungrateful, even opportunistic, to shout “Have a look within the mirror!” when the once-majestic has develop into myopic, muddled and middling.

Which, in fact, brings us to: the Madrid derbi, the state Atletico Madrid are in, the racism geared toward Vinicius Jr., how Emperor Diego Simeone is performing and the way quickly somebody, just like the brutally sincere little one within the Danish fable will shout out: “Cholo’s received no garments on!” Please do not be fooled by Madrid’s single-goal victory margin from Sunday’s heated, generally spectacular, however disturbing derbi Madrileno.

Atleti had been largely atrocious. Once more.

The short-sighted, the misguidedly loyal, those that concern change, and those that quake at paying off Simeone’s eight determine annual wage multiplied by the 20 months remaining on his contract (roughly €33m if there’s not a specified, decrease, rescission clause quantity) will level out that Atleti’s two greatest defenders, Stefan Savic and Jose Maria Gimenez, had been lacking.

They’re going to bluster that Los Rojiblancos received this derbi on the Metropolitano solely final Could. That the house facet had an lively first quarter-hour on Sunday. They’re going to say: “Cannot you see the fantastic thing about his ermine and the way finely tailor-made Cholo’s robes really are?” They’re going to say: “Cannot you be glad with earlier [trophy] magnificence?”

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

However calling out the present decrepit state of Atleti’s match sharpness, match stamina, techniques, defending, consideration to element, competitiveness, mentality, creativity, damage prevention, taking part in system and participant morale would not come solely from this defeat throughout which the 2021 champions had been limp, bewildered, third greatest in a two-horse race and, in the end, had been even gifted their comfort objective.

This pallid perspective, this loss which already leaves them eight factors behind Madrid after solely six matches, is consultant of an alarming decline. It requires to be a turning level. Cholo Simeone’s postmatch evaluation like many managers beneath strain, bore little precise relationship to what occurred.

The onerous truth is that at no stage after Rodrygo ruthlessly scored Aurelien Tchouameni’s brilliantly crafted cross for the opening objective within the fifteenth minute, did Atleti actually consider they may win. No urgency, no forcefulness — scant self perception.

Simeone’s vastly satisfying, deeply vital and undeniably historic reign at Atleti has been predicated on aggressive self perception, gifted gamers squeezing each final drop of effort out of themselves, red-and-white-striped footballers making it totally horribly for opposition to play in opposition to them, ultra-stingy defending and a real, palpable, concept that “We concern no one; blink for a second and we’ll haul you down whoever you might be.”

In comparison with that, the central id of the previous 11 years of Atleti is totally unrecognisable. Rivals look on them as straightforward pickings. Final season nearly half of LaLiga conceded fewer objectives than them (together with Getafe who completed some extent off relegation). Atleti’s gamers look confused, half-hearted, out-of-form and leaden athletically.

The coach seems each unsure and frail tactically — uncertain of the personnel in his greatest XI, much more deeply uncertain about which formation could make Atleti formidable once more. (Simeone skilled all week in a 5-3-2, began that means, then modified to a 4-4-2 5 minutes into the match which was 12 minutes earlier than Madrid sliced by means of them to go 1-0 up!)

Solely 5 occasions previously 59 aggressive matches have Atleti gone one objective behind and nonetheless received. Vastly decreased potential to bounce again. Final season, they misplaced three consecutive matches (Madrid, Sevilla, Granada) for the primary time since their Argentinian guru took over in December 2011.

This newest defeat implies that they’re at risk of shedding three straight house matches for the primary time in Simeone’s beforehand admirable tenure. (The truth that the subsequent house rival is lowly Girona would make that ultra-catastrophic if it got here to cross).

These criticisms, and there are various extra, have to be put in context of how gifted, how deep and the way expensively assembled a squad Atleti possess. To be truthful to Simeone, in two methods, it should not be forgotten that, final season, they beat the soon-to-be Italian champions away from house and in addition received at Outdated Trafford and in Porto.

Nor ought to it’s thought that the final malaise is simply Simeone’s fault. His health coach guru, Oscar Ortega, is not reducing the mustard, hasn’t for a very long time. The return to Madrid of Antonio Pintus, sparking Los Blancos’ totally wonderful capability to win or seal large video games late on, has highlighted this.

It is clear that Simeone is unimpressed with among the membership’s most up-to-date signings. It is equally clear that El Cholo and Joao Felix get pleasure from what LaLiga TV’s match commentator Pete Jenson known as “a wedding of inconvenience.” The membership nonetheless love the gifted Portuguese, however Cholo would a lot slightly eliminate him and discover a new model of the younger Diego Costa.

In sensible phrases, what Atleti do about their coach’s state of affairs would possibly finally be closely influenced by a board debate over “which horse will we again right here? Our file €126m switch funding who’s nonetheless solely 22 … or the man to whom we pay over €20m a season and who’s at the moment serving up tepid soccer?”

One litmus check, for you, not simply the lads who rule at Atleti, is to think about: “If Simeone had come from a group exhibiting the shape, perspective and competitiveness which Atleti have proven during the last 16 months would he have been employed again in 2011?” Or: “Will Simeone’s substitute, each time that comes, get the job having proven the equal of Atleti’s kind during the last yr and a half?”

If you happen to’re sincere, the reply is crystal clear.

Latest witnesses at coaching have heard Simeone roaring at his gamers: “You earn large salaries … work tougher … anybody who would not wish to be right here would not should be right here.” Not cutting-edge stuff.

There’s one thing else indicative of the nice slough through which this normally very important, inspirational, likeable and ultra-hungry man finds himself. Have a look at his taking part in file. Not simply what he received, however what these trophies and his arrival on the membership signified. When Simeone was Rojiblancos’ midfield enforcer, Atleti received the league and cup double in 1995-96 — they’d by no means achieved that earlier than and have not since.

It was Atleti’s first Spanish Liga title in 19 years. One thing not repeated till he grew to become coach. At Inter, he helped them elevate the UEFA Cup — solely their third trophy in 9 years. It took one other 12 years for the Nerazzurri to win one other European trophy. At Lazio, the Roman membership had solely received three trophies within the earlier 25 years and so they’d solely received Serie A as soon as. Simeone’s arrival in midfield impressed Sven Erikisson’s group to win 4 trophies in beneath a yr. Lazio have neither received the title nor a European trophy since.

With Argentina in 1991, Simeone drove the Albiceleste to their first Copa America win for 32 years. As a coach, he received the Argentinian Apertura with Estudiantes — their first trophy for 23 years.

Excuse the stats bomb, however together with his historic achievements accountable for Atleti thrown in, you see the patterns do not you? Simeone, stripped all the way down to his uncooked core, is a catalyst. Pushed, formidable, hungry, gifted, inspirational — profitable.

Ferocious, insatiable, inspirational. Examine any of that info, that correct characterisation, to the present squad’s performances, its character, the apathy, the confusion, the fallibility — the Arsene Wenger-esque “high 4 will do positive, thanks.” What’s your conclusion?

It might be implausible if Atleti might maintain a summit with their coach — reignite his hearth, demand increased, extra inspirational requirements in each day work. Freshness, ferocity, renewed drive, ambition and, briefly, an nearly full reset.

Nevertheless, I concern that the beastly regulation of diminishing returns, between membership, squad and coach, has set its steely claws and won’t relinquish. If that’s the case, the important thing query for Atleti is, “What to do?”

The one unacceptable reply is: “head within the sand.” The identical one Atletico Madrid have utilized to the atrocity of their “Extremely” followers who title themselves: “Frente Atletico.”

Different individuals can have extra direct, extra sustained expertise of this group that displays disgusting attitudes, however I can say, with out query, the worst, most brutal racism I’ve ever witnessed throughout twenty years residing in Spain (or anyplace else for that matter) got here from that sector of Atleti’s followers.

It was a Copa Del Rey Madrid derbi, on the Bernabeu in February 2014. The 2 coaches had been … Diego Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti. Publish Madrid’s 3-0 win, Ancelotti’s unused gamers had been doing warm-down workout routines on the pitch and Marcelo had his 4-year-old son with him whereas the away followers, for safety functions, had been nonetheless locked of their part of the stadium.

What Atleti followers chanted and sang at Marcelo and his little son, merely due to their pores and skin color, was evil and unpardonable. I instantly phoned the TV station I labored with on the time to report that one thing horrific was going down. Truthful play — they instantly devoted their information bulletin to it.

Within the speedy aftermath, some Atleti followers and personnel had been angered and denied that the state of affairs had been so disgusting — till Marcelo, late at evening, tweeted a social media publish about how he, and his son, heard all of it however would by no means be daunted, modified or intimidated by such fools.

From then, till now, Atleti have accomplished so little of that means or impact {that a} sizable variety of their followers felt in a position to racially abuse Vinicius Jr. in similar manner this weekend. It is an ultra-serious state of affairs. It requires each extreme punishment (for any membership and or fan base, with stadium closure the one significant approach to get the purpose throughout).

Nonetheless extra crucially, racism in soccer requires deep, everlasting and forceful schooling in any respect ranges of Spanish society. In each sporting and social phrases, it is time for all of us to inform Atletico that they’re engaged in self-delusion.

The emperor is with out garments.