Sunday’s win against Osasuna mathematically ascertained the classification of Atletico Madrid of Diego Simeone for the group stage of the Champions League for the eleventh consecutive season, when their current 72 points are out of reach for fifth place villarrealdespite his victory on Saturday against Girona.
The Argentine coach has been unerring in this goal in each of the eleven campaigns he has led the rojiblanco team, from 2012-13 to the current 2022-23, without getting off the podium of the table at the end of the League in any of them, waiting to know what their position will be in the current course, where they are currently in third. square.
In 2013-14 and 2020-21 he got the pass for the maximum continental tournament as champion of LaLiga Santander; in 2017-18 and 2018-19, as second in the classification; and in 2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2019-20 and 2021-22 as third in the table, surpassed only by Barcelona and Real Madrid in all these cases.
Simeone’s Atlético’s eleven consecutive participation in the Champions League is three more than all previous ones in the rojiblanco club’s historywith eight until the arrival of the Argentine coach, although the situation is not entirely comparable, because now four teams enter the group stage of the tournament, where in the past, until the late 90s, only the only the champion is qualified to play in the European Cup.
In five of the eight editions played of this competition before Simeone became the champion of the League (one of them with the current Argentine coach as a player, when he achieved the ‘double’ in 1995-96 and played in the Champions League in 1996-97); in another, on his debut in 1958-59, he did so as the second, as Real Madrid became European national champions in 1957-58; and in two others (2007-08 and 2008-09) as fourth.
If in all the editions since its premiere the top four in the table have qualified, as is the case today, or at least the top three -the position in which Atlético has not dropped at the end of each Liga throughout the ten seasons. until now with Simeone-, the rojiblanco team competed in the European Cup 22 times before the 21st century.
Yes, it is comparable to the ‘Champions’ editions from 1999-2000 onwards, when Atlético only managed to play the tournament twice in twelve campaigns for the eleven consecutive seasons they have now achieved under orders of the Argentine coach.
The trajectory to the Champions
Under the command of Simeon, Atlético has twice been a finalist and runner-up in the Champions League (2013-14 and 2015-16), when in its entire history it has done it only once (in 1974 against Bayern Munich); another semifinalist (2016-17); three reached the quarterfinals (2014-15, 2019-20 and 2021-22); in two he was eliminated in the round of 16 (2018-19 and 2020-21) and in another two he fell in the group stage, although in one of them, in 2017-18, he was declared champion of Europe League and then the continental Super Cup.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
