Could Atletico Madrid really part ways with Diego Simeone soon?

Martin Macdonald

• 6 Feb 2026 07:30 CST
• 4 min read

Nieuws

Diego Simeone's future at Atletico Madrid is far from certain and the board are currently considering his position, according to reports from Spain.

The Argentine is recognised as one of the best coaches in the world and the Spanish giants have enjoyed remarkable success in his 15-year spell at the club.

As head coach of Atleti, he's won La Liga twice, the Copa del Rey once, the Europa League twice and the UEFA Super Cup twice. On two occasions he took the club to the Champions League final (in 2014 and 2016) and both times they lost to arch-rivals Real Madrid in heartbreaking fashion.

They are in their almost-perennial position of third in La Liga at the moment behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, but are 10 points adrift of the Blaugrana so aren't really in the title race.

In the Champions League, they also need to navigate a playoff tie against Club Brugge to make it to the official knockout stage in the tournament. In their last League Phase match, they were defeated 2-1 by Bodo/Glimt at the Wanda Metropolitano and that loss sealed their fate to the playoffs.

Internal tension

Reports from Spain indicate that there is also tension between Simeone and director of football Mateu Alemany, who joined from Barcelona last summer.

On Radio Marca's La Tribu programme, journalist Emilio Perez de Rosas said:

"Alemany's dream is to bring [Villareal manager\ Marcelino to Atletico. Alemany left Barcelona because he wasn't the boss there. Mateu isn't going anywhere to be second in command or to report to a coach.

"I have never seen a sporting director with such a presence: at football matches, in the stands... When he signed his contract with Atlético, his first goal was to make Simeone understand that someone bigger and more influential than him had joined the club."

Atlético unbeaten in 17 knockout matches in their own stadium under Simeone ❤️🤍#UCL pic.twitter.com/ynvWtzfZo9

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 11, 2024

Fellow journalist Paul Tenorio, meanwhile, said that fatigue is starting to set in between Simeone and the Atletico fans after so long at the helm.

"Alemany publicly threw shade at the coach," Tenorio said.

"They [at the club] are trying to hide the obvious tension between the sporting director and the coach. There is a small hidden power struggle. Fatigue with Simeone's project is becoming apparent this year.

"A significant portion of Atletico fans are starting to look at other coaches. I've never seen anyone at Atletico think about another coach, and now they're starting to do so."

Simeone is loyal to Atletico but has never hidden his desire to one day manage another of his former clubs in Inter.

“It doesn’t depend on just me, but in my coaching career I can imagine myself managing Inter one day. I think it will happen one day," he said in November.

“They play very well, they have personality and they have a clear idea of how to attack. The squad is incredible. Against Milan they were proactive. They didn't finish, but they could have won. They deserved it.

"We have to take the game to a place where we know we can beat them.”

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