Germán ‘Mono’ Burgos (51 years old) says goodbye to his soul team. The Argentine, until now second coach of Simeone, announced on June 3 that this would be his last season alongside his friend and mentor. At the end of this campaign (something that has already happened after being eliminated in the Champions League against Leipzig), will leave his position as Cholo's assistant with the intention of taking the reins of a team as head coach. Despite the fact that he has sounded like a candidate for the bench of clubs like Alavés (who finally chose Machín), its next destination is not yet known.
Burgos joined the rojiblanco coaching staff with Simeone on December 23, 2011 to return Atlético to its rightful place among the greats of our league. Since then, the colchoneros have lived through the most glorious time in their history, reaping seven titles in these eight and a half years. In addition, to this stage on the bench we must add the three years he was part of the squad as a player, to which he arrived with the team in the Second Division in the 2001-02 campaign from Mallorca. Left in 2004-2005 after playing 67 games and conceding 76 goals.
In the campaign 2011-12, the Argentine duo took the team mid-course and managed to win the Europa League by defeating Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in Bucharest. At the beginning of the following season, the rojiblancos added a new title to the win the European Super Cup by beating Chelsea 1-4 in Monaco. That same year They took the Copa del Rey by beating Real Madrid 1-2 at the Santiago Bernabéu.
In the 2013-14 Simeone and Burgos achieved their greatest success so far by proclaiming themselves league champions. That allowed them to inaugurate the following course playing the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid. Cholo's pupils They took the trophy after drawing one in the Madrid fiefdom (goals from James Rodríguez and Raúl García) and win at home 1-0 with a Mandzukic target.
The next title was made to wait until the campaign 2017-18, when the mattresses won the Europa League defeating Olympique de Marseille in Lyon 3-0. Being champions of the second continental competition gave them the right to play the European Super Cup against the winner of the Champions League, which was Real Madrid. The derby was resolved in extra time in favor of the Atléticos by winning 2-4.
However, analyzing the track record of the Simeone-Burgos duo, it is observed that they have achieved all possible titles except one: the Champions League. The Athletic fingered the European champion trophy twice at this stage. In both finals the rival was the same (Real Madrid) and the outcome was similar: the whites added it to their showcases. The first of them took place at the Da Luz stadium in Lisbon and the madridistas won 4-1 in extra time after tying Godín's goal in the 36th minute with a header from Sergio Ramos in the 93rd minute. The other final was held two years later and the setting was the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan. On this occasion, the end was even more cruel for Atlético, since the defeat occurred in the penalty shootout after coming 1-1 at the end of overtime.
That is precisely the thorn in the ‘Monkey’: not being able to say goodbye to his club making him king of Europe. This year presented a good opportunity with the final to eight that was played in Lisbon and in which the mattresses they faced Leipzig in the quarterfinals a single party. Finally, the Germans took the duel by winning 2-1, leaving Burgos without fulfilling his dream. Perhaps, in the future, if you decide to return home, you can have another chance and make up for this bad taste in your mouth at your farewell.
In this time Burgos has been 478 games as Simeone's assistant (326 from LaLiga, 48 from the Copa del Rey, 6 from the Spanish Super Cup, 70 from the Champions League, 26 from the Europa League and 2 from the European Super Cup). From them, Burgos has had to lead the baton in 18, including two continental finals: the 2018 Europa League against Marseille in Lyon and the European Super Cup that same year in Tallinn against Real Madrid. Total, the balance of the 'Mono' as head of the mattress bench is 13 wins, three draws and only two defeats.