After two draws against newly-promoted sides Alaves and Leganes, it looks as though Ateltico Madrid have turned a corner, their 5-0 thrashing of Sporting Gijon making it three wins in three. Matters off the pitch have been thrown into doubt, though, perhaps not for now but certainly for the future, as it was announced last week that Diego Simeone’s contract had been cut by two years, which means that it now expires in 2018 rather than 2020.
"We have spoken with the club and have made the best decision for the club," Simeone told reporters before the clash with Sporting Gijon. "We have decided on this agreement together, the situation is the same as it has been. Stay calm – we're fine! It is normal that this is represented differently than the real situation, but this does not bother me. I am guided by both my head and my heart."
What Simeone is discussing here is obviously the worries that have been brought up surrounding the contract reduction because surely it points towards an exit in 2018. Perhaps doing what is best for the club is not asking to be released from his position when the time comes to head for ‘la salida’, which would result in a pay-off for the remainder of his contract, instead parting on good terms with a premeditated agreement that would leave his club in a better position financially.
Then again, he could renew with the club again in two years’ time and allay the nightmares that fans of Los Rojiblancos must be having, which has been mentioned.
As a sign of solidarity to the Coach who has completely changed their fortunes and brought them success over the past five years, the Atleti faithful stood to applaud in the 18th minute of Saturday’s game. This is testament to the incredible work that the Argentine has conducted at the club, given they are now title challengers season upon season after winning La Liga back in 2014, their Champions League record impressive too, reaching two finals in the past three seasons.
Simeone has quite literally transformed the club he had two spells at as a player, and the fans will be eternally grateful and right behind him in whatever decision he makes, something that clearly means a lot to the 46-year-old based on his comments after the Gijon win.
“The ovation gave me a lot of emotion and sensitivity… it confirmed what I felt,” he said. “When you follow your heart, it almost never fails you.”
So it looks as though the summer of 2018 is going to be huge for the future of Atleti. How much is achieved in the next two years could have some bearing on Simeone’s choice. He has a young squad, and if he feels that he can achieve more at the Vicente Calderon then maybe he will decide to stay. However, these recent developments hint at an exit, which is a daunting prospect for Los Colchoneros. Only time will tell, but a crossroads can definitely be seen on the horizon.