Departing Griezmann, Godín to test Simeone
MORE THAN ever, Diego Simeone will be put to the test as Atlético Madrid coach.
Simeone will begin next season facing the difficult challenge of keeping Atlético competitive after the departure of their biggest star, Antoine Griezmann, and other players who have been key to the team’s success in recent years.
He will also be without captain Diego Godín and defender Lucas Hernandez and most likely will have to deal with the absence of players such as Juanfran Torres and Filipe Luís, who could be announcing their departures in the coming weeks.
Simeone will suddenly find himself having to put together a team without his core players, making his upcoming offseason work crucial to keeping Atlético in contention for the top titles in European football.
The hardest player to replace will be, by far, Griezmann, the forward who last year won the World Cup with France and finished third in the Ballon d’Or vote for world’s best player.
Simeone has constantly talked about Griezmann’s importance for Atlético, saying he is the player who sets the tone for the team in attack. He is among the few indisputable starters, having scored more than 130 goals in five seasons at the club.
Simeone appeared to be caught by surprise by Griezmann’s decision, saying a few days ago he didn’t fear losing the player in the upcoming transfer window.
“Simeone is disappointed, like everybody else,” Atlético president Enrique Cerezo told Radio Marca. “But (Griezmann) had made up his mind, and there was no way to convince him otherwise.”
Griezmann had a contract with Atlético until 2023 with a reported buyout clause of €200 million ($224 million), but the clause will be automatically reduced to about €120 million ($134 million) this offseason. Griezmann did not say where he will be next season, but Atlético rivals Barcelona were reportedly among the front-runners to sign the Frenchman.