It was the end of 2011 when Diego Pablo Simeone became the coach of Atletico Madrid. Despite he was still young and didn't have too much experience as a manager, he was highly welcomed by the supporters of the Spanish team. Certainly, he had been one of the most loved players in the team history due to his charismatic personality, and he was a key player during the double won by Atletico in 1996.
After the victory against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, Simeone has lifted his seventh title and become the most successful manager in the club history, above the great Luis Aragones.
And even though all these years have indeed been successful, the players and the manager know very well which is the last treasure wanted by the every Atletico fan: The Champions League.
Considering that the final of this season will be played at the stadium of Atletico Madrid, this is even a higher motivation to reach the only cup left in the club showcase. In doing so, players such as Gelson Martins, Kalinic, Rodri, and Lemar have arrived to reinforce the squad, but most important, Griezmann eventually refused an offer from Barcelona and decided to stay in the Spanish capital.
The end of the curse
Although Atletico Madrid had already won a Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid in 2013 and a Spanish Super Cup against the same rivals just a year later, the story had been different in the international matches.
Precisely, Real Madrid denied the triumph twice against their archrivals in the finals of 2014 and 2016, same as in the quarterfinals of 2015 and in the semifinals of 2017.
Besides, the same story happened in 1959, when Di Stefano was the key player for Real Madrid. But finally, Atletico Madrid won 4-2 to lift their third UEFA Super Cup against a team who have recently lost Cristiano Ronaldo.
Precisely, the departure of the Portuguese has not been replaced by the club, who now has just 13 days to sign any player capable of leading the team. The management of Real Madrid trust in players such as Bale, Benzema, Asensio or Isco to fill up the place left by Cristiano Ronaldo, but surely the defeat against Atletico will spread a shadow of doubt among the supporters.
La Liga kicks off
Comparing with the last year, certainly, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have better squads than the previous year. The Catalans have signed Vidal, Malcom, Lenglet and Arthur, players that maybe will start the season on the bench but presumably will have an important role during the season. Still, the big concern is their performance in the Champions League, where they have been eliminated in the quarterfinals for three seasons in a row.
Moreover, Atletico Madrid will start the year with Diego Costa, the player who has been essential since he started to play in January, as he was when they won La Liga in 2014.
On the other hand, Real Madrid looks obviously weaker without Cristiano Ronaldo, and in spite of signing Courtois, Odriozola or Vinicius, it seems that it may be a trophyless season for 'Los Blancos.' Summing up, three of the best European teams are playing in a competition that hopefully will be more even than the last one.
