Atletico Madrid

“The Super League was a great solution for football,” Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo told Cope radio station, and yet his club was the first of the Spanish teams to back down. In fact, the only one to do so, to date. They were also the only one of the three Spanish sides to confront any significant backlash from supporters, although it was still very limited compared to scenes in England.

Cerezo claimed that: “People will be in favour of it when they hear the details,” and yet unlike Barcelona and Real Madrid he is not clinging on, nor risking anything by refusing to back down. Nor, just as importantly, was he offering any of those details – and that in part reflects Atletico’s position. Rarely part of the early conversations or the plotting, not a committed conspirator, Atletico were one of those clubs that were “invited” to take part rather than an instigator. The invitation came late, and as a fait

accompli, leaving them with little choice but to join – and, truth be told, grateful to do so.

The new La Liga champions’ status as Spain’s third club seems absolutely unquestioned now – which says something about the achievement of Diego Simeone since he took over a decade ago – but it wasn’t always so. Some reports suggested they were given barely a few hours to join or watch a third slot be offered to Sevilla instead. Witnessing the reaction, unsure in the first place and aware that they would be very much a junior partner, but aware too that it would suit them, they regretted the decision quickly and soon folded. Now they just wait and let others play this out, which is more or less what they have done all along.