Since the dramatic final day of last season when Barcelona failed to overhaul Atletico Madrid, the landscape of Spanish football has shifted considerably further. The champions must rise above the noise to complete what would be a quite simply spectacular retention of the Liga title.
It will be a tough ask of Diego Simeone’s side, following on from an intriguing footballing summer in Spain. Not only have the powerhouses of Real Madrid and Barcelona splashed out huge sums of money, but reigning champions Spain were also unceremoniously dumped out of the World Cup at the earliest opportunity. The aura of invincibility around the national side has evaporated in the same manner that is has from the decade-long hold Madrid and Barca had on La Liga.
Simeone will be desperate to show last season wasn't a fluke, and the Argentinian is not the kind of character to accept defeat from the off. It is expected that Madrid and Barcelona will be stronger considering the signings they have made, meaning Atletico must also improve on last season’s performance if they are to stand any chance.
Real Madrid made the World Cup’s Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez their star signing of the summer, while Barcelona plucked the mercurial Luis Suarez from Liverpool. The two South Americans have become the fourth and third most expensive signings in history.
Meanwhile Atletico have been hamstrung by a raid from Chelsea, who have already taken last season’s prolific striker Diego Costa and accomplished left-back Filipe Luis, in addition to recalling goalkeeping sensation Thibaut Courtois. There are also fresh reports of a bid being made for defender Joao Miranda, one of the standout performers from the last campaign.
To counter the losses, Atletico made 21-year-old Slovenian prospect Jan Oblak the eighth most expensive goalkeeper in history in replacing Courtois, while the services of Mario Mandzukic have been secured from Bayern Munich in a bid to fill the void of goals left by Costa, who netted 36 times last season. Atletico will need Mandzukic to replicate his career goal average of around one in two if they are to stand any chance of retaining La Liga.
The exciting Antoine Griezmann could provide the ammunition for his new Croatian teammate, after the young Frenchman moved to the Vicente Calderon from Real Sociedad. Having spent almost a decade in Spain, he is adapted to the culture and the League. The only issue is whether he adjusts to playing at a bigger club with higher stakes and pressure.
Rumours continue to link Manchester United poacher Javier Hernandez, who would add a further cutting edge to Simeone’s attack, and creative Arsenal playmaker Santi Cazorla to the Spanish champions.
Any chance Atletico may have of winning the League could depend on how their rivals’ big-money signings gel, and how well Los Rojiblancos start the season with their new faces. If the likes of Suarez, Rodriguez and Toni Kroos prove to be disruptive and confusing to their new sides then Atletico have a chance to build an advantage, although this won’t be made easy by early trips to Santiago Bernabeu and Mestalla.
In Simeone Atletico have a driving force that will accept nothing less than total commitment, a man who has already exceeded expectations in almost completing a La Liga and Champions League double. Next season provides the opportunity for the Coach to become a true great, and Atletico are certainly in with a shout.
