Diego Simeone reaches 600 matches at Atletico but needs a quick change in fortune

Argentine was a proud spectator at World Cup final, but is finding life tougher in Madrid

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone will need results to start going his way again after 11 years at the club. Reuters

Diego Simeone put on an Argentina jersey under his familiar black suit. They are the two favourite outfits of his professional career. He played for Argentina more than 100 times. As a coach, he has made the dark jacket and trousers his touchline trademark through most of the 599 matches he has been in charge of Atletico Madrid.

Simeone had chosen his mix-and-match attire for a special occasion, Sunday’s trip for Qatar to the World Cup final. The patriot in him would finish the night delighted. He was there as a proud manager, too. Four Atletico players were among the finalists as Argentina took on France.

No club was better represented, either, among the gold-medallists. Simeone will greet Rodrigo de Paul, Nehuel Molina and Angel Correa with hearty backslaps when they return to training in Madrid in the coming days. He will commiserate with Antoine Griezmann, so dynamic for France in their run to a final they lost only on penalties.

Griezmann, at least, already has a World Cup medal: he was one of the three Atletico employees who were part of France’s winning squad in 2018.

That in itself is a remarkable achievement. That’s two successive World Cups in which no club had, under contract, more players in the winning squad than Atletico. It’s a measure of Simeone’s transforming effect over the last decade.

When Spain, where Atletico are the third biggest club, won the 2010 World Cup, they had no Atletico players involved; when Simeone took over Atletico following year, the club were not the sort of institution potential world champions wanted to join. They sat 10th in La Liga, and had just been knocked out of the Copa del Rey by third-tier Albacete.

As Simeone on Wednesday prepared his available Atletico players for the resumption of the domestic season, a Copa del Rey tie away at fourth-tier Arenteiro in Galicia, he was encouraged to reflect on his epoch-shaping influence.

World Cup final - player ratings

ARGENTINA RATINGS: Emiliano Martinez 9 - Aston Villa’s goalkeeper had little to do in the first half as France didn’t have a single attempt on his goal, and took until 70th minute to have a shot off target. Then conceded three goals to Mbappe. Massive save in penultimate minute, then saved again in France’s penalty shoot out. Booked during it, but his mind games worked. Won the Golden Glove. Getty

Nicolas Tagliafico 8 - Diminutive left back is now a world champion. Getty

Nicolas Otamendi 7 - Another who played like a man possessed and like his life depended on it, but there’s a mistake in him. He gave France’s first penalty away, letting them into the game. Also deflected an Mbappe shot over on 93 as Argentina wobbled.

Cristian Romero 9 - Early collision with Lloris and another when he was booked on 18. Made it tough for Giroud by getting straight on to him. Read the game well, intercepting and setting up attacks. Kneed a 93rd minute ball back to his goalkeeper amid another French attack.

Nahuel Molina 7 - The second goal started when the Atletico Madrid full-back won the ball and played it forward to Mac Allister. Charged, emotional, intense. Like them all. AP

Alexis Mac Allister 9 - Fourth minute strike on goal. Ball to Di Maria as Argentina enjoyed a better, more aggressive start to the match. Incredible run and ball to set up the second. Box to box throughout, he was one of the best players in the World Cup final. AFP

Enzo Fernandez 7 - Helped Argentina dominate from the middle. Curled a shot on target after 71 – having been set up by his foil Mac Allister. Booked. Won young player of the tournament. AFP

Rodrigo De Paul 8 - Excellent in the first half as he moved the ball quickly. Protected Molina. Volley against Lloris as Argentina dominated, until the 80th minute. AFP

Julian Alvarez 8 - Offside after two minutes as Argentina showed their early intent. Worked hard – in defence and attack - and combined well with Messi. No goals or assists, but a top class supportive role. AFP

Messi 10 - In his last World Cup, he held his nerve to put Argentina ahead with a 22nd minute penalty. Flick helped with the second. Worked hard. Lost ball to Coman, which led to France’s second. Scored the third – and he thought winning – goal. Put his penalty away. What an ending. AFP

Angel Di Maria 9 - Tremendous on the left. The 34-year-old skied a shot after 16 following smart link up with Messi. Clever to win a penalty after running into the box on 21 and being pushed by Dembele. Scored in Copa America final and here made it 2-0, finishing an incredible move with a decisive finish. AP

SUBS: Marcos Acuna 7 - On for Di Maria after 64. Booked. Ran down the left and found space, before slicing a cross into the stands – which were full to their 88,966 capacity. Reuters

Gonzalo Montiel 9 - On for Molina on 97. Sent a screaming shot towards goal on 105, only for Varane to head it away. Gave away the penalty at the end of extra time. Took the penalty which made Argentina world champions. Took his shirt off. Cried his eyes out. Getty

Leandro Paredes 6 - On for De Paul on 102. Booked for a horrendous tackle seven minutes from the very end. PA

Lautaro Martinez 9 - On for Alvarez on 103 and made an immediate impact. Two efforts in time added on as Argentina desperately tried to get their lead back. Stayed onside for the third, curling a shot which was parried towards Messi who equalised. Excellent. Reuters

German Pezzella N/A - Real Betis player came on for Mac Allister on 115. Getty

Paulo Dybala N/A - On for Tagliafico in time to take a penalty. He did – and rolled it down the middle. Reuters

FRANCE RATINGS: Hugo Lloris 4 - Little he could have done about the goals amid a poor defensive performance. Failed to make a single save from the penalty spot. AFP

Theo Hernandez 5 - Looked bright going forward, but was unconvincing defensively again, and was nowhere to be seen in the build up to Argentina’s second goal which came from his flank. EPA

Dayot Upamecano 7 - Two significant interventions in extra time. An impressive performance from the Bayern Munich star. AP

Raphael Varane 6 - Didn’t over commit to challenges and restored calm despite being 2-0 down. Kept things simple with his passing when transitioning the ball out of defence. Out on his feet by the time he was replaced by Konate in extra time. AP

Jules Kounde 4 - Targeted by Argentina on a number of occasions who enjoyed consistent success with balls played into his channel. Struggled to deal with Di Maria who linked play effortlessly from the left. AFP

Aurelien Tchouameni 5 - Sometimes careless with his passing, but Tchouameni seemed to grow into the game once France added balance into their midfield. Put his penalty wide of the spot in the shootout. PA

Adrien Rabiot 6 - A crucial tackle on the hour-mark ensured Messi didn’t have a chance to make it 3-0. Worked hard throughout the game. EPA

Antoine Griezmann 6 - Came in and out of the game in spells and applied pressure when tracking back to defend, but Griezmann wasn’t as effective going forward as usual. France looked better when he was withdrawn. AP

Ousmane Dembele 3 - Gave away the penalty for Messi’s opener despite there being some question over whether it was a foul. Seemed to give away possession every time he touched it, and was replaced in the first-half. EPA

Kylian Mbappe 10 - Just the second hat-trick in World Cup final history - and he ended up on the losing side. When he came alive - eventually - he was unstoppable and terrified Argentina. What a game. PA

Olivier Giroud 5 - Frustrated and replaced at the same time as Ousmane Dembele, before half-time, as Deschamps changed his deck to make something happen. AFP

SUBS: Randal Kolo Muani (Giroud, 41) 7 - Added more intensity on the forward line. France’s first genuine attempt on goal didn’t come until the 68th minute, but Kolo Muani got the effort from a corner all wrong. AP

Marcus Thuram (Dembele, 41) 7 - Looked bright and played with freedom to attack Argentina defenders. Booked for simulation, though it’s difficult to be too critical with a World Cup on the line. AP

Eduardo Camavinga (Griezmann 71) 7 - France looked much better when the Real Madrid midfielder was introduced, with Camavinga providing much needed physicality to help begin counter-attacks in more promising areas. AP

Kingsley Coman (Hernandez 71) 7 - Added an injection of pace at the right time as he soon dispossessed Lionel Messi in the build up to France’s equalising goal. An excellently timed substitution by Didier Deschamps. Missed his penalty in the shootout. Reuters

Youssouf Fofana (Rabiot 96) 6 - Introduced for Adrien Rabiot who had worked tirelessly all game. AP

Ibrahima Konate (Varane, 113) N/A - Won the corner in the lead up to France’s penalty for the equaliser. Almost picked up an assist to win it. AFP

Axel Disasi (Kounde, 120) N/A - On for the penalty shootout. AFP

He has arrived at significant milestones in his time as elite football’s longest-serving boss. It was exactly 11 years ago that he agreed to take the job. On Thursday, he will be in charge of Atletico - who on his watch have won La Liga twice, claimed a pair of Europa League titles and a Spanish Cup, as well as reaching two Champions League finals - for the 600th time.

But the 11-year anniversary is hardly a peak moment. His Spanish champions of 2020-21 are currently outside the top four of La Liga, 13 points off the top. They finished bottom of their Champions League group.

The impressive fact and figures of the Simeone era also place an unforgiving lens on the here-and-now. His overall win percentage at Atletico is close to 60 per cent; this season it has dipped to under 43 per cent, lower than any of his previous campaigns. In 2022-23, Atletico are averaging 1.33 goals per game; even if Simeone’s time in charge has been largely characterised by defensive solidity, goals have never been scored at a lower rate than over the past four months.

And that’s with a choice of attacking personnel as gifted as in any Simeone squad from the past. Joao Felix, Griezmann and Alvaro Morata have each commanded net transfer fees over €100m in their careers.

Matheus Cunha, the 23-year-old Brazil striker, arrived for €30m in the summer to add more firepower. Cunha was yesterday in advanced negotiations to join Wolverhampton Wanderers, his Atletico move deemed a disappointment. It is a rare case of Simeone’s tutelage not adding value to a player, although to look over some individual performances in Qatar is to wonder if Simeone is coaxing as much from some of his players as their national managers can.

Atletico Madrid's Argentinian coach Diego Simeone has had a tough start to the season. AFP

Take Joao Felix, still only 23, but restless. He appeared to aim a dig at his Atletico role when, after shining for Portugal, he said: “There’s difference with playing here and at the club - when conditions are more favourable, things go better.” Griezmann, a long-term Simeone ally, was deployed brilliantly in a midfield position for France, revealing assets previously undiscovered at Atletico. De Paul galvanised Argentina through the later stages of the World Cup; this season, Simeone has named De Paul on the bench as often as in the starting XI.

“Nobody has doubts about Simeone, there’s no grounds to doubt him,” insisted the Atletico president, Enrique Cerezo, as he marked the anniversary of an inspired managerial appointment. But whether Simeone is still inspiring, still patrolling the touchline in his dark suit next December, marking 12 years in charge, likely depends on an uptick in form in early 2023.

Atletico are keeping tabs on alternatives. Luis Enrique, who stepped down as Spain coach after the World Cup, would be high on the shortlist of possible successors.

Simeone has never imagined he would not, one day, move on. He would relish coaching Argentina. But as of last Sunday, when unsung Lionel Scaloni guided the country to the greatest prize in football, there is clearly no imminent vacancy there.