Could Diego Simeone of Atlético Madrid be the next Manchester United Manager? Well, we do know who’s not coaching them: Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp. He said for a second time publicly that he’s not interested in coming to Old Trafford. So we can shoot down those rumors now. Louis van Gaal appears to be the favorite and we’ve profiled him here and here.
Yesterday we took a closer look at Carlo Ancelotti, and how he might fit as Coach of the Red Devils. Other candidates include Roberto Martinez but you can understand why Ed Woodward and company probably don’t want to go fishing in the Everton pond again; for obvious reasons.
The Guardian has a short list of five contenders and the most intriguing of their descriptions is the one for Diego Simeone. Here’s what The Guardian had to say about him:
The one-time Argentina defensive midfielder infamously involved in David Beckham’s sending off at St Etienne during the 1998 World Cup in France, Simeone has taken Atlético to the top of the Spanish league where they sit perched above clubs boasting five times their budget. Currently preparing to face Chelsea in the club’s first Champions League semi-final for more than 40 years, the 44-year-old is a clever coach who loves counterattacking football and has little time for endless passing with no end product.
A stylish pragmatist on the pitch, he is a shrewd, innovative man manager and brilliant motivator off it with a reputation for being able to get inside the heads of players. Capped more than 100 times by Argentina and a midfield star in Italy and Spain, he is big on “respect” and reveres “tradition”. Drawbacks? Simeone is far from fluent in English.
On 23 December 2011, Diego Simeone was unveiled as the new Atlético Madrid coach, succeeding Gregorio Manzano. On 9 May 2012, Diego Simeone won the UEFA Europa League with Atlético beating Athletic Bilbao 3–0. On 31 August 2012 he won UEFA Super Cup with same team beating Chelsea 4–1, earning his first two European trophies. On 17 May 2013, he won the Copa del Rey with Atlético beating Real Madrid 2–1. Diego Simeone led the team to a third place finish in 2012–13 La Liga, the club’s best finish in the competition since 1996.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also a frequent guest on national talk radio. Banks is a former contributor to NBC Chicago and the Washington Times, who’s been featured on the History Channel. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)