It’s been over six months since Kieran Trippier left Atletico Madrid but he continues to spread the word about Diego Simeone in England. The two enjoyed a close connection while he was in Madrid before his move to Newcastle, where Trippier arguably enjoyed the best of his career.
Together they won Atletico Madrid’s second La Liga title of the 21st century, with Trippier a key part of Simeone’s new 3-5-2 system. Los Colchoneros have signed Nahuel Molina this summer in an effort to replace him, having struggled to fill the void.
Speaking recently to the Mirror, Trippier said he would love to see Simeone manage in the Premier League one day. As an example of his quality as a manager, he recounted one anecdote about Simeone’s incredible talent to motivate.
“One-to-one, the night before we went for the title against Valladolid he pulled me in. He showed me a video of when I signed, the press conference, where I said what I wanted to achieve with Atletico Madrid. I said that day I wanted to win the title. He remembered that and wanted to remind me.”
“That moment spurred me on against Valladolid in that decisive last game, and we won it. Little details like that get the extra percentage out of players. He is very clever.”
It worked – Atletico Madrid won the title and cemented Trippier’s place in the hearts of Los Rojiblancos forever.
Whether Simeone would be able to translate his management to another club is the big question. The club and the Argentine are so closely linked in their identity at this point, it may well be tricky to create that connection somewhere else.
