Atlético won its second League of the 21st century in Valladolid, finishing at the top of the table again with Simeone on the bench and reaching its eleventh title in the history of the competition. The rojiblancos achieved repeat the feat of 2014, again having to go to the last day of the League to settle the champion and maintaining the advantage they already had, achieving the agonizingly needed result.
In this month of May, with comeback in Zorrilla thanks to goals from Correa and Luis Suárez and in the 2013-14 season drawing at the Camp Nou against Barcelona, the rival for the title, with the unforgettable header of Godín. In both games it was necessary to recover to an adverse result (Óscar Plano and Alexis Sánchez had put Valladolid and Barça ahead) and it was achieved thanks to the character and strength of the group. But, this summer is faced in a very different way than the one that arrived in that 2014 after playing the Champions League final in Lisbon, a game that escaped in injury time and where Cholo could not count on Arda Turan or Diego Costa (who had to be substituted after eight minutes), two of his figures who had ended up injured in the last league game.
The Spanish-Brazilian forward himself was one of the protagonists of that transfer market. The rojiblanco team saw how it lost fundamental pieces in the achievement of LaLiga, several key players in the spine, with Chelsea as the main 'looting' team. The blues they took Diego Costa in exchange for the amount of his clause, 38 million very cheap for a player who He had scored 36 goals (27 of them in the League, 8 in the Champions League and one in the Cup). They also denied a Courtois' fourth consecutive loan to the rojiblanco team, after seeing how the Belgian goal closed the door to his team of origin in the semifinals of that Champions League and achieved his second consecutive Zamora in LaLiga. And above, They got the services of Filipe Luis for a figure close to 20 million in exchange for one of the best left backs of the moment.
What's more, Chelsea was about to take Tiago, who signed as a free player. But, at the last minute, the offer was not made and Atlético ended up renewing the great Portuguese midfielder. If with Courtois, Filipe and Diego Costa they lost three indisputable starters for Simeone, Atlético had to recover from Villa goodbye, who decided not to extend his commitment to the club for another year. The Asturian had that option in his contract, like Luis Suárez this same course, but in the case of Villa he preferred to go out as League champion in style after having scored 14 goals, 13 in the competition, in his only rojiblanco year. He headed to New York City, although at Atleti they saw him with the level to continue after playing the World Cup in Brazil with the National Team.
Atlético lost four starters in the summer of 2014 in the Champions League final.
JAVIER SORIANO (AFP)
Four headlines saying goodbye and several complements such as Alderweireld, the third central, Adrián, very important, although from more to less since the arrival of Simeone, or the loaned José Sosa and Diego Ribas, who were returning to their home clubs after reinforcing the team in January. Thus, Simeone saw how after winning LaLiga he had to remake himself and rebuild the squad with the goodbye of multiple pillars. Atlético got down to work and instead arrived as reinforcements in the 2014-15 season players at the level of Griezmann (30 million), Mandzukic (€ 22M), Oblak (€ 16M), Cerci (14), Correa (who was detected a heart problem so he could not participate throughout the season) , Raúl Jiménez (10.5), Siqueira (10), Moyá (Aranzubía had hung up his gloves) and Jesús Gámez among others. Griezmann and Oblak would be two brilliant additions, although they needed time to settle down.
Maintain the foundation of success
A transition process, with the loss of key players, that Atlético already repeated two summers ago, when in 2019 they came out Godín, Juanfran, Lucas, Filipe, Rodrigo and Griezmann and several footballers arrived who have now been key in this new League, such as Marcos Llorente, Hermoso, Felipe, Herrera, Trippier, Lodi or João Félix. Now, the great objective to prepare the defense of the title is to bet on continuity. Avoid that loss of parts in the spine and try to shore up the weakest places.
Focused on renewing Marcos Llorente, Luis Suárez has confirmed that he will continue as rojiblanco for one more course, Oblak has conquered his fifth Zamora and Atlético refers to its 120 million clause, João Félix is not for sale and no offers are heard for him, Giménez has also made it clear that he wants to continue, Trippier automatically extended his contract, Koke has between eyebrows to become the player with the most appearances in the history of Atlético, Savic is happy and the players who have taken a step forward this course as Lemar, Correa or Hermoso enjoy all the confidence of Simeone. Cholo's second Liga title on the mattress bench will apparently have a completely different summer, where what is sought is the tranquility and permanence of the project.