Is Diego Simeone nearing an exit at Atletico Madrid / Image via fm-base.co.uk
Diego Simeone rued Atletico Madrid’s lack of stability at a “crucial moment of the season” but was delighted to end it on a high.
At the midway point of the season, Atletico were part of a three-horse race for the LaLiga title, but a major drop-off in March saw them lose ground on eventual winners Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Atletico finished the season in third on 76 points, 12 behind Barcelona.
They capped off their season with just one loss in their last six matches (W4 D1), signing off with a 4-0 victory over Girona on Sunday.
Alexander Sorloth scored a second-half hat-trick, with two of those goals coming in stoppage time, and Clement Lenglet added further gloss to the scoreline.
“For us, the season is not over yet,” Simeone said. “We knew we had a chance, and this great timing was suitable for us because it resembles the atmosphere we will experience in the United States [at the Club World Cup], and we dealt with it this way.
“We knew we would face a team that plays good football. We started the match below our opponent, but gradually improved, and we found the right spaces to attack.
“The substitutions gave us extra energy, and we won important balls that allowed us to harm them. We scored goals from Alex and Clement, which left us feeling good.
“Now, those who will stay in Madrid will take a break to prepare for training on the second day. It’s just a break to focus and put all the excitement into the Club World Cup.
“We lacked stability at the crucial moment of the season. The Getafe match was the turning point after facing Barcelona, and after that, everything became much harder.”
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— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) May 25, 2025
Sorloth’s hat-trick means he netted 20 goals in LaLiga in 2024-25, with only three players scoring more goals in their debut campaign for Atletico in the competition this century.
In fact, he scored 10 goals as a substitute this term, the most by a player in a single LaLiga season this century.
Julian Alvarez, also playing in his first campaign for Atletico, finished the campaign with 17 goals, having drawn a blank against Girona, though he did set up Sorloth’s hat-trick goal.
“No one knows; perhaps if he played more minutes, he would have scored more goals,” Simeone said of Sorloth.
“The truth is he scored 20 goals despite the number of minutes he played, so we didn’t handle the situation poorly.”
And on Alvarez, he added: “There are many positive things, and anyone who wants to see them will find them.
“What Julian did in terms of effort is unbelievable. He is a player with quality, presence, and simplicity, and while he can score a goal, he prefers to pass to his team-mate.
“We need Julian; he is the player we signed, and we hope he feels happy here. We all have to help him showcase his talent more.”
Atletico’s Club World Cup campaign begins on June 15 against Paris Saint-Germain at the Rose Bowl in California.
