Last Friday was the 20th anniversary of the day I agreed to be the Sports Director of a Atlético de Madrid judicially intervened and in relegation positions to 2ºB. Two decades later we fight face to face with all the great sharks on the continent. How times have changed!
This weekend I have reflected on that period in sports management. I have wondered if I regret something or if in hindsight I would change something. The truth is, I would make all the great decisions again. Starting with accepting the position. Many of you will remember that there was speculation about the dissolution of the team, as happened years later with the Glasgow Rangers. Can you imagine that something like this happened? That Atlético ceased to exist from one day to the next? For the love of the club, I had no choice but to try to help him.
The conditions that I put on Jesus Gil They were clear: if he wanted me to lead the team, he would be forbidden both to go down to the locker room and to speak to the press, at least until we went up to First. The game prior to my incorporation, Atleti had lost with the Las Palmas University and he said that famous phrase “There is no plane for anyone, that the players return to Madrid swimming!”. He had to avoid more tensions of that kind, otherwise the task would be impossible. Initially he sent me to the f ***** but I was firm, he had no choice but to accept my conditions. Surprisingly he did.
There was no money for transfers, until the last peseta was audited, so it forced us to reinvent ourselves with a record of transfers and payment in installments. I already told you a few months ago that crowdfunding was even considered to finance signings. I have no doubt that I would repeat the backbone of that team that achieved the promotion. Starting with my first big signing, Mono Burgos. Authentic porterazo of the Selection of Argentina. Garcia Calvo in defense, Movilla in the spinal cord, Diego Alonso in the attack. To which I added the specialist to set pieces, Stankovic, something vital in the silver category. It was decisive.
I have no doubt that I would repeat the spine of that team that achieved the promotion
Of course the best signing was Luis Aragones for the bench. Many times I have been asked what it was like to go from being their player to becoming their boss. The truth is that I never felt like his superior, we were a team both. We had no margin to make mistakes with the hiring, we agreed on everything. The only question we had was the signing of Javi warrior. We had no choice but to be creative: sign him, let Luis try it for a month, and if he didn't fit in, sell it again. Something that ended up happening and that was unheard of in its time. I insist: we had no other choice. There was no margin, neither time nor money, to fail.
Along the way I bet on a boy with the face of a Child who ended up becoming a Legend. As an anecdote, I remember a very specific technical work we did with him, on how to improve the reception of the ball from the back. Instead of trying to control with the inside, which was not his strong suit at the time, he used as an example Christian vieri, who in those same back receptions controlled the ball with the sole of his foot. It improved a lot. What am I going to tell you about the competitive nature of a Legend that ended up winning everything!
In the first year, the role of the AC Milan to help the team consolidate in the top flight. Starting with my old partner Albertini, to whom I will always be grateful, leader on and off the field. I remember very well the calm face of Luis when the Metronome confirmed his signing. He would be joined by the Rossoneri Coloccini, Cosmin Contra, José Mari Y Javi moreno, who the year before had made the world fall in love with that historic UEFA sub-championship with Alavés. That year I also signed Emerson, Sergi Barjuan Y Luis Garcíto. As an anecdote, 8 years later I met Adriano Galliani in Milan and I said “Paul they are still paying us in installments for 2002 ”.
I ended up leaving the club for arguments with Gil in March 2003 with the team in positions of UEFA. If I hadn't argued with him he might still be in the club, who knows. For that I would have to have swallowed many things with him and you all know that I am not like that.
I left with my homework done: from 2ndB positions to European competition positions.
From hell to Europe. In health and disease: ¡Aupa Atleti always!