Back in January, Diego Simeone shocked both the footballing world and fans of Atletico Madrid
as he announced that he would be leaving the club after 11 and a half years in charge. When he
took over the club in December 2011, the Los Rojiblancos faithful could never have dreamed of
the success that their club was about to achieve. But at the end of the season, their
rollercoaster ride with El Cholo will be at an end.
Throughout his decade-plus in charge, former Argentina captain Simeone has led Atleti to two
La Liga triumphs, as well as two UEFA Champions League finals, two Europa League crowns,
and the 2013 Copa Del Rey. It's a far cry from the club he inherited, which was languishing way
down in tenth place in the Spanish top flight.
Los Colchoneros endured a difficult and turbulent start to the current campaign which is what is
thought to have triggered their manager’s decision to leave. However, since the announcement,
Atletico have been on a stellar run of form and are currently sitting in fourth place in La Liga. As
such, online
sportsbook Bovada has made the club one of the favorites to secure European
qualification once again this season. Whether that means that Simeone will veto his decision
remains to be seen.
However, if he does not, we will always have the memories from El Cholo’s time in charge of the
club. And none of those memories shine brighter than the 2013/14 campaign.
The Greatest Season In Atletico Madrid History
Atletico Madrid’s 2013/14 campaign will go down in history as the club’s greatest-ever season.
Spain’s top two teams have perennially been Barcelona and Real Madrid. They have
occasionally been joined at La Liga’s summit by the likes of Valencia, however, in 2013, they
were the hot favourites to win the title. But they hadn’t banked on a rejuvenated Atletico, who
rose to the challenge and vanquished their illustrious rivals to claim their first league title in 18
years.
It all started with Simeone’s appointment as head coach in December 2011. He had an instant
impact and led Atletico to the UEFA Europa League that season,
followed by the Copa del Rey
and a third-place finish in La Liga the following term. But it was during the 2013/14 campaign
that he cemented his legacy as one of the greatest managers on the planet and in the history of
Atletico Madrid.
Atletico had an excellent start to their season and won their first eight games of the campaign.
That run included wins away at top sides such as Sevilla, Real Sociedad, and archrivals Real
Madrid, who were defeated in the Bernabeu by a solitary Diego Costa goal.
Atletico were neck-and-neck with Barcelona and Real Madrid throughout most of the season,
however, nine wins on the spin throughout March and April put them on the brink. Then,
catastrophe struck with a 2-0 defeat away at Levante, followed by a 1-1 draw at home to
Malaga.
That meant that on the final day of the campaign, all three of Atletico, Real Madrid and
Barcelona all had a chance of being crowned champions. And to make matters worse for Atleti
they would have to travel to Catalonia and get a result if they wished to lift the La Liga trophy.
But on matchday 38, Simeone’s men were heroic.
They travelled to the Nou Camp knowing that a point would be enough for them to clinch the
title however, that looked like an unrealistic proposition when Alexis Sánchez gave the hosts the
lead. The visitors would strike back shortly into the second half courtesy of a goal from central
defender Diego Godín. Throughout the rest of the second period, Los Rojiblancos would fight
like lions, and they would deservedly
pick up the point they needed to be crowned champions
against all odds.
Reaching the UEFA Champions League Final
As if a first title in 18 years wasn’t enough, Atletico Madrid also reached the
UEFA Champions League final in Lisbon for the first time in the club’s history. One week on from that famous
afternoon in the Nou Camp, Atleti headed to the Portuguese capital for a date with city rivals
Real Madrid to contest the first-ever Champions League final played between two teams from
the same city.
Atletico Madrid’s first major obstacle on their way to Lisbon were 2011 European champions
Barcelona. The first leg at the Nou Camp ended 1-1, with Simeone’s side very nearly picking up
a 1-0 victory until Neymar struck a late equaliser. In the return leg however, they would seal a
shock progression when they picked up a 1-0 victory thanks to Koke’s early strike.
In the semi-finals, Atletico faced another daunting task; Premier League giants Chelsea. After a
goalless draw at the Vicente Calderon, Simeone knew that his team had it all to do at Stamford
Bridge. And his task looked even more precarious when former Atletico Madrid captain and icon
Fernando Torres gave the hosts the lead.
However, it was Atletico who would come roaring back. They equalised on the stroke of halftime
courtesy of Adrián López’s goal. Then, two goals in 12 second-half minutes from Diego Costa
and Arda Turan would seal a famous 3-1 victory - setting up the eagerly anticipated all-Madrid
final against Real.
The stage was set for an epic battle between two fierce rivals for European glory – but it
wouldn’t turn out quite like Atletico had hoped for. Despite taking an early lead through Diego
Godín, Sergio Ramos would equalise in the 94th minute and send the tie to extra time. There,
Atletico would run out of steam, and it was Los Blancos that ran out 4-1 winners and finally
captured La Decima.
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Atletico Madrid 2013-2014 season