Simeone inks extended deal with Atletico
Print Edition
ATLETICO Madrid coach Diego Simeone has agreed to extend his contract with the Spanish champion by three years to 2020 and pledged to help the club cement its position back among Europe’s elite.
The deal, which runs until the end of the 2019-20 campaign, was widely expected although that did not prevent plenty of speculation a wealthy rival could try to lure Simeone away from the club he twice represented as a player.
“I have chosen to be here because I am convinced the club will continue to grow,” the 44-year-old told a press conference.
A former Argentina captain said to play “with a knife between his teeth”, the combative Simeone transformed Atletico after taking over at the end of 2011, leading it to its first domestic league title in 18 years last term.
Atletico won the Europa League at the end of his debut season and reached the final of the Champions League in 2013-14 where it lost 1-4 to Real Madrid after extra time.
It thrashed Chelsea 4-1 to claim the 2012 European Super Cup, won the Copa del Rey a year later by beating Real in the final and defeated its neighbor over two legs to secure the Spanish Super Cup in August.
Real will again be its opponent in the quarterfinals of the latest edition of the Champions League, with the first leg at Atletico’s Vicente Calderon stadium on April 14 and the return at the Bernabeu eight days later.
“He triumphed as a player and became a club legend and we knew we weren’t making a mistake when we proposed to bring him back as coach,” Atletico president Enrique Cerezo told reporters. “He has helped us underpin the club’s growth with his tremendous success on the pitch and he has consolidated our place among the European soccer elite.”
Atletico is unlikely to defend its La Liga title this season as it is nine points behind leader Barcelona in fourth with 10 games left.
As well as the Champions League last eight, Simeone’s priority for the rest of the campaign will be to secure a lucrative berth in Europe’s elite club competition again for next season.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
