The 16 years that Cholo left at Atleti

Have you ever heard that you can’t live without love? Well, oxygen is more important.” This sentence is from a popular television series that many readers will recognize. If you’ll excuse the joke…I can say that achievements are more important than breathing! So far in 2023 , if the accounts have not failed me, Atlético de Madrid has obtained 21 out of 30 points in La Liga. A very positive balance that brings the team together in positions that provide direct access to the Champions League.

On Monday we traveled to Girona with the added pressure of increasing distances after the draws between Real Sociedad and Betis. With so much emotion at the end of the mattress brand, we have achieved success with the goal of extremis from alvaro morata. The man from Madrid is getting fewer minutes than usual, but is making the most of them. It was also a victory with special symbolism, the first three points we scored in Montilivi. The most important thing: the Indian team finished the day with six points from fifth place and three from fourth.

Coke He came to say in a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo that “why not try to finish second?” I like the attitude of our great captain and I fully agree with him. That moment is so beautiful when we stop worrying below (always cautious, obviously) and start dreaming above. I usually feel this in my social networks. In a matter of weeks, I went from receiving daily messages of doom, some of which went as far as personally insulting me, to current optimism. Of course, victories are the oxygen of football.

With 21 out of 30 points in 2023, I’m sure many will think that “if it was like this at the beginning of the season we would be aspiring to the title”. They do not lack reason. But football, like life, is a state of mind. Things haven’t changed much, apart from the ball going in when it needs to go in. I take this opportunity to send a big hug to the whole squad, the coaching staff and of course the fans, who were heard more than the local stands in Girona. Also for our legend Juanfranwhich I congratulate on his new face as a commentator.

To finish, I would like to note that since I came to Spain in 1987, I have only seen Atleti win three championships. in all three are Diego Pablo Simeone. I have no doubt that the fourth and fifth that we will celebrate one day will also be led by the coach with the most games in the history of rojiblanca. I told him this in the congratulatory message for his recent record and I commented again along these lines: in 2012 I publicly expressed my wishes that he be our Alex Ferguson. Darling CholoI hope you have another 16 years (at least) to match him!