For all coach Diego Simeone has changed at Atletico Madrid, one thing remains the same — an inferiority complex when faced with their richer, more successful cross-city rivals Real Madrid.
Atletico have a huge task to overturn a 3-0 semi-final first-leg deficit if they are to avoid elimination at the hands of Real in the Champions League for a fourth consecutive season in the last ever European game at Atletico’s Vicente Calderon stadium on Wednesday.
Simeone has been in charge for what he described this weekend as “nearly six marvellous years.”
In that time he has led Atletico to their first league title in 18 years, ended a 14-year winless streak against Real and put the club back on the map in Europe.
But the defeats in the past three seasons have been all the more heartbreaking as they have come by the slimmest of margins.
Real equalised in the 93rd minute of the 2014 final en route to winning their long-awaited 10th European Cup. Another late goal edged a quarter-final tie 1-0 in 2015 and last year it took a penalty shootout to separate the two when they met in the final again.
For the first time last week’s first leg truly showed the gulf that still exists between the sides in terms of resources.
Real’s financial muscle even threatens to break up this Atletico side.
Theo Hernandez looks set to become the first player to cross the Madrid divide since 2000 this summer.
A move for the 19-year-old is seen as Real’s first step to breaking a gentleman’s agreement not to poach Atletico’s best players ahead of a bid to snatch their top scorer Antoine Griezmann in 2018.
“Tell me how does it feel,” said a huge banner released from the Real fans before kick-off at the Bernabeu last Tuesday alongside signs for Lisbon and Milan, the two cities where Atletico lost to Real in the final in the past three years.
