Diego Simeone fast becoming best boss in Europe

Atletico Madrid are in the Champions League final for the second time in three years after beating German giants Bayern Munich on away goals in the semi-finals. Atletico headed to the Allianz Arena with a 1-0 lead, but suffered a 2-1 defeat against Pep Guardiola’s team.

However, Antoine Griezmann’s goal for Diego Simeone’s side in Germany was enough to see Los Rojiblancos through to the final. Considering the odds were stacked against the Spaniards it’s extraordinary that they have reached another final.

One of the main reasons behind Atleti’s sustained achievement is boss Diego Simeone, who’s organisational and motivational skills have kept his side punching above their weight in La Liga and the Champions League in the last half a decade.

The Argentinian’s team is much built in his image, tough, well-organised and hard-to-beat. They also have the football intelligence to know when it is appropriate to break at speed to hit teams on the counter-attack.

Simeone has proven his managerial credentials against some of the top teams in Europe. Bettering Real Madrid and Barcelona in the race for La Liga in 2014 was a major achievement, considering the vast financial resources available to their rivals.

Their Champions League semi-final opponents do not only have big financial resources, but also had one of the men considered as a modern football managerial great in Pep Guardiola in the dugout.

Simeone out-witted Guardiola, but the highly-rated Catalan boss is not the first top boss to be out-thought by the fiery Argentinian boss and he definitely won’t be the last.

With every clash against a goliath of European football, Diego Simeone enhances his reputation and he is fast becoming the best boss in the European game.