“The situation we find ourselves in is alarming. This is not the situation we should be in at this club. It is not enough to talk about it. We must raise the bar if we want to reach the Champions League.” The hot reaction of Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak after the defeat at home in front of the Red Lantern Levante (0-1). The result that not only alerted Real Madrid players, but also weakened the position of the pilot in command: Diego Simeone.
It seems that the Argentine coach is already facing challenges since the beginning of this week by the Spanish media that SERE lock Declaring that the Argentine did not feel unanimously supported internally. In addition, his deteriorating relationship with sporting director Andrea Berta confirms the complex situation of the 51-year-old technician on the Colchoneros bench. If he is the man to whom we owe Atletico’s rise since his arrival in 2011, his adventure in Rujiblanca could end this season…
Favorite Ernesto Valverde
But if the administration is somehow trying to maintain its confidence in the former Sevilla and Inter Milan player, it will indeed look for his successor if the sporting situation worsens over the next few weeks. According to the information received from Mundo Deportivo, the Madrid board of directors was considering former Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde to straighten the team in the race for the qualifying places for the Champions League in the League. Without a club since his dismissal from Barcelona in January 2020, the 58-year-old remains an experienced coach in La Liga, having already coached Athletic Club, Villarreal and Valencia among others.
But it is not the only option for the leaders: Catalan media add that Luis Enrique, the current Spain coach, will also please Wanda Metropolitano. As for the tracks abroad, we are talking about Portuguese Jorge Jesus, who was free after his departure from Benfica, or even Marcelo Gallardo, who nonetheless announced that he will remain on the bench at River Plate until the end of his contract in December. 2022. Finally, Atletico may even consider having coaches in Italy, whose arrival seems highly improbable (Stefano Pioli, Simone Inzaghi). For now, El Cholo is still in place and will have to strive for victory at all costs in Osasuna so as not to sign the end of his era with Rouge-et-Blanc…
