Champions o drama

Champions o drama. Those three words can summarize what will be the second part of the season at Atlético, a team in low hours. The current league champion is playing the feasibility of his current project to be among the top four in the league tournament. Losing to Athletic in the Super Cup hurts. Fall against Real Sociedad, too. But it does not alter Atlético’s future plans. Being out of the Champions positions, yes.

Cerezo and Gil Marín have already transmitted it to the squad. You have to stay yes or yes among the first four. There is no other. And the Madrid team does not have it easy, since Real Madrid and Sevilla have two safe places. And Barcelona is going strong, it has been reinforced and in the Atlético coaching staff they know that it will go further. Betis and Real Sociedad threaten that fourth place, so Simeone’s team will not be able to relax for a minute.

The players know from the leaders that if Atlético is not among the top four, the budget will have to be cut. That means several things. First of all, the team would have to get rid of some of its most important players. Atlético made a significant effort to put together a guaranteed squad: they signed De Paul, Cunha and brought in Griezmann with the idea of ​​winning titles. Not playing the Champions League would not only mean selling a star but also failing to incorporate top-level players.

Players, on the other hand, could also see their salaries cut.. If the club loses, they would also have to lose. Atlético’s current status has been achieved by being in the Champions League every year, in the main continental club competition. Neither Cerezo nor Gil Marín nor anyone on the Board of Directors asks for titles. But he did finish in the top four. It is the only great objective of the entity and the team.

Confidence in Simeone is, for the moment, total. No one knows the team better than him and he has already brought Atlético afloat in difficult times. And this one is. But now is not the time to make notes or make decisions. At the end of the season it will be when it is time to speak. And see if Cholo is still strong enough to continue leading the team. He renewed with Atlético with the intention of having a winning cycle. Anyone can have a bad year.

But the chaos would be not finishing in the top four. The first final will be against Valencia. And from the club and from the coach they will ask for the support of the stands. The fans must support in this complicated moment. Many were waiting for Simeone to fall. Many want to get rid of Cholo, so from the entity they know that now more union is needed than ever. The fans, who have carried the team so many times, must do it once again. Against Valencia you cannot fail.