TA: The hope of playing only 4 Atletico Madrid s championship competition in the new season has been shattered, and Simeone has been criticized and questioned

September 18th Atletico Madrid invested more than 150 million euros to sign Baena, Cardoso, Almada and others. Last summer, the team also signed Alvarez, Gallagher, Lenorman and Sollot, spending more than 180 million euros. According to The Athletic, many people in the club believe that this is the strongest lineup in Simeone's coaching Atletico Madrid in 14 years, and look forward to the team's ability to compete for trophy in the domestic league and European competitions in the new season. However, only 4 games were played in the new season, and this hope was shattered.

Since Bucelo took over as Atletico football director in January 2024, the team has spent more than 350 million euros on signings, and at the same time, the sales of players have earned about 180 million euros. Although Atletico Madrid announced a record 60,905 season tickets, pre-season optimism gradually faded as the team scored only two points in the first three rounds of La Liga. After each defeat, Simeone tried to remain calm and called on everyone to be patient, expressing her confidence that the team will improve soon. According to insiders of the club, they believe the team's defeat was mainly due to poor luck, especially in the match against Espanyol and Elche, where Alvarez and Sollot missed multiple scoring opportunities. In addition, some local commentators also criticized Simeone, questioning whether he could fully mobilize this lineup that spent a lot of money to build.

Simone has coached Atletico Madrid for more than ten years, and has experienced many ups and downs during this period and won 8 trophies, the most recent of which was the La Liga championship in the 2020-21 season. An industry source familiar with the club's operations said Bucero may be building a team of different styles for the "post-Simone era". However, there is currently no indication that Simeone's coaching position is directly threatened. Another source who knows the club well said: "He is so useful as a shield to divert attention from the board."