Atlético is a club that has to reinvent itself every little bit. Without the potential of the most economically powerful entities, Atlético has reached a privileged level in European football. But every year it seems that it is more complicated. Last season he undertook the renewal of his staff and the generational change he needed and this exercise is making the news for the positive cases for COVID-19 more than for anything else. And so it is difficult to do a normal preparation. Already in Lisbon, in the last edition of the Champions League, Atlético accused the blow of the pandemic. Practically on the eve of the trip to the Portuguese city the positive of two players (Correa and Vrsaljko) was known and this altered the rojiblancos plans. Later the hit came and the club admitted that many were more aware that there were no more infections than the game itself.
After the holidays comes the new campaign and Atlético is having the strangest preseason that is remembered. With almost no signings, no friendly matches and more positive cases. Atlético does not have it easy.
The team had to advance its return to Madrid from its headquarters in Los Angeles de San Rafael after testing a positive. Before, Diego Costa and Arias had already stayed in Madrid. Now it is Cholo who will be out of combat for two weeks. And the team debuts in a couple of weekends. He had planned to play Carranza, but gave up. AND on his agenda is a training match against Almería on the 19th. We will see. Atlético will start the championship without really knowing how it is.
No friendly matches and no signings. Atlético renewed their squad last season and now they have no economic margin. Grbic, Oblak's substitute theorist, has arrived when the Slovenian decides to leave. And a little more. The new faces right now are the ones from the quarry, with Mollejo in front, played after passing through Deportivo. The Athletic look for a midfielder and renew your forward. But you need to get footballers. Everybody knows. Diego Costa could possibly leave at the last minute and Morata's future is in the air. Luis Suárez, Cavani, Lacazette … From Atlético they are silent. He knows that right now it is a very attractive club for many. On the other hand, the team block will be the same as last year. And the club looks like will be able to resist the interest of the greats in their figures, in the Oblak, João Félix, Giménez, Saúl … For the rectors of Atlético the merit is this. El Cholo has already launched the message of war: “We grow in the face of adversity”.