Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid: Atleti say farewell to the Calderon, Champions League and most likely Simeone

For one farewell, Atletico Madrid fans are already braced. Wednesday will be the last European match staged at the Vicente Calderon. The stadium, like a museum of so many memories, has had its time.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone gestures on the sideline during the Spanish Primera Liga match against Eibar at the Vicente Calderon in Madrid on May 6, 2017.Javier Soriano / AFP

■ Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid, 10.45pm UAE, Wednesday, BeIN Sports

Wednesday will be the last European match staged at the Vicente Calderon. The stadium, like a museum of so many memories, has had its time.

When the Uefa Champions League anthem next ushers Atletico into a home fixture in September, it will be in more modern surroundings of the Wanda Metropolitano arena.

Wednesday evening’s other poignant farewell, the aggregate scoreline suggests, will be to the 2016/17 European Cup.

Three-nil deficits, such as the one Atletico carry from the first leg of their semi-final against Real Madrid, are not easily reversed, and an unhappy record in derbies in this competition also burdens a team who have in each of the past three seasons lost to their wealthier neighbours in the Champions League.

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A quiet fear of many supporters is that an exit tonight may anticipate another farewell, that of manager Diego Simeone, that he might echo some of the remarks he made as he digested the loss to Real, on penalties, after last season’s final.

That night in Milan, Simeone cast doubt on his continuing at Atletico.

It turned out he was merely putting down a marker, reminding his bosses he wanted their support in the transfer market that summer, that his genuine bond with a club he played for in hard times and has resurrected over the past six years remained strong despite the heartbreak of a second losing Champions League final against Real in the space of three seasons.

But Simeone will not be Atletico’s manager. Beneath his mantra of thinking only about “the next match”, the great motivator, the marvellous MC of crowds at the Calderon keeps a beady eye on alternative challenges in the future.

One, he concedes freely, is to manage the national team for whom he played more than 100 times.

“Of course I think about managing the Argentina national team,” Simeone declared this season. “It’s a strategic objective, but something I would like to do at the right moment.”

There are frequent “right moments” in as far as a chaotic Argentina have alarmingly regular vacancies for manager. Simeone will wait a while yet for that job.

Jorge Sampaoli is set to be named the fifth Argentina manager in the past six-and-a-half years and will be judged on the 2018 World Cup campaign.

Then there is Inter Milan, where Simeone played with distinction and last December said: “Everyone knows one day I will coach Inter. The question is when.”

As Inter stumble down the Serie A table, way off possible Champions League qualification, their new Chinese owners have made it clear they are open to appointing, and handsomely paying a fourth manager in 12 months.

Inter have put Simeone and Antonio Conte, who is about to guide Chelsea to Premier League title success, on an ambitious wish list. Simeone knows that.

He renegotiated his Atletico contract last September and – unusually – shortened his commitment. He has 14 months left, enough time on paper to have him oversee the move to the 67,000-capacity Metropolitano, and, in theory, to prepare a squad that might challenge again for a title and maintain the high standards Atletico have kept in Europe.

Simeone’s greatest managerial triumph was the 2014 Primera Liga crown. Repeating hat will be hard work. Atletico have stars other clubs want. Several would love to take striker Antoine Griezmann away. Some of them can afford his €100 million (Dh400m) buyout clause.

Real already seem poised to lure Theo Hernandez, a young left back who has spent the season on loan at Alaves, whom Atletico have brought up through the ranks and had high hopes for.

As for new reinforcements, Atletico are confident a Fifa-imposed transfer ban will be lifted but the wait for a verdict on their appeal against it puts them in an uncertain limbo.

The new stadium may be a mixed blessing. Simeone’s communion with the loyalists of the Calderon is unique and the arena an intimidating fortress. The Metropolitano, out in the suburbs, is an unknown.

It will need new mood music to be created. That may be a stimulating challenge for Simeone.

He might, equally, feel his huge part in Atletico’s history has already been written.

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