Diego Simeone insists on remaining at the club despite crashing out of the Champions League. The Argentine has a contract that expires in 2024.
Things have been going south for Atletico Madrid recently. The capital city side are third on the La Liga table but a whooping eight points behind league leaders and city rivals Real Madrid. The Colchoneros are struggling for results as they seek to keep pace with Real Madrid and Barcelona, who are above them on the log.
The expectations are not too high for the Colchoneros, but they expect to compete well and make a mark. The team is not meeting the expectations of their teeming fans, and this is perhaps the worst start to the season since the manager Diego Simeone took over.
Recently, Atletico Madrid failed to beat Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. It was a devastating blow for a club with modest ambitions and led to rumours suggesting that Simeone may be on his way out. While the rumours persist, Simeone has insisted on staying at the club.
Diego Simeone insists on staying at Atletico
The 2-2 draw with Bayer Leverkusen was like a mortal blow to the Colchoneros. A last-minute penalty against the German side could have given the Spanish side victory, but Carrasco contrived to miss it with the rebound coming off the crossbar. The draw confirmed a place for Atletico Madrid outside the Champions League.
The draw, which felt like a loss, has raised discussions over the future of Diego Simeone. The former Inter Milan midfielder has been at the club since 2011. While the rumours persist, Diego Simeone has insisted that he would not turn his back on the club at this critical moment. He claims the latest setback should buoy them into achieving greater things.
Simeone has a contract that expires in 2024, but he admitted his ambition remains to help the club win the Champions League, and he would remain to try and achieve the feat. Atletico will now have to contend with finding a route back to the Champions League next season.
A bitter pill to swallow
Diego Simeone has enjoyed a successful tenure at the Wanda Metropolitano. In his 11-year stay at the club, the Argentine has won several trophies for the Colchoneros, including La Liga twice, the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa de Espana, Europa League (twice) and the Super Cup (twice). Simeone wants to remain and win more trophies for the club, particularly the Champions League.
It was another painful exit for Atletico from the Champions League, as they drew 2-2 with Bayer Leverkusen. According to Simeone, it was the toughest moment for him. He insists on continuing with the club to get what they need, like the Champions League.
Los Rojiblancos was in with a chance to make it to the knockout round of the Champions League. All that is dead after the draw to Leverkusen.
Atletico have five points and can no longer catch up with Club Brugge (10) and Porto (9). They need a positive result against Porto in their final group match to cement third place and secure their ticket to the Europa League.
It is the second time Atletico would crash out of the Champions League in the last ten years.
