The Rojiblancos have lost two finals to city rivals Real Madrid and may find it tougher than ever now to win Europe's premier club competition. So it begins all over again for Atletico. After the pain of losing to fierce rivals Real Madrid in the final at San Siro in May, Diego Simeone's side start their assault on the Champions League once more. But they may find it tougher than ever this time around. For Atletico, losing to Real Madrid is a familar feeling in Europe. While the Rojiblancos have enjoyed success against Madrid in La Liga, in the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercopa in recent times, it is Los Blancos that have always come out on top in the Champions League.
Simeone's side came within a minute or so of lifting the famous trophy in Lisbon in 2014, but Sergio Ramos' late leveller forced extra time and in it, Madrid were much stronger. They prevailed 4-1 on aggregate to win La Decima - their 10th European Cup - and the following season, Carlo Ancelotti's side edged out their city rivals in the last minute of a tense, two-legged tie - but only after Arda Turan had been sent off for the Colchoneros. At San Siro last season, the two teams could not be separated in normal or extra time. But this time Atletico lost out to Madrid in the penalty shootout. For a third season in a row, they had fallen at the hands of their eternal enemy and twice, they had found themselves so desperately close to glory.
Can they do it again? If there is one thing football fans, pundits and everyone else will have learned from watching Atletico in recent seasons, it is that they cannot be written off. Nobody expected them to win La Liga in 2013-14, but they did. And nobody gave them a hope of reaching a Champions League final. Yet they have now been in two. "Are we capable of winning the Champions League? We're capable of winning tomorrow," Simeone said on Monday ahead of his side's trip to PSV in their first group game in the competition's 2016-17 edition. "Thinking about anything more would not be humble."
That has been the Argentine's philosophy ever since the start at Atleti and it has served them well. Since he joined in 2011, El Cholo has led Atleti to five trophies (La Liga, the Copa del Rey, Spanish Supercopa, the Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup). There is only one missing - the Champions League. Simeone is likely to have two more shots at the title as Atleti coach. Although he sighed a new contract last year to keep him at the club until 2020, he has a verbal agreement to leave after the 2017-18 season. The idea is to spend the current campaign with the Rojiblancos in their last season at the Vicente Calderon and then lead out the side in their first year at the new stadium at La Peineta, which will be inaugurated next summer.
Avoiding Madrid could be key to their chances given the pair's recent meetings in the continental competition, but Barcelona look stronger this time too after strengthening in the summer, Bayern Munich will be a force in Europe under Ancelotti, Juventus should challenge once more, while there is also the threat of Manchester City with Pep Guardiola and, if they can overcome their recent blip and bring in a defender in January, Unai Emery's Paris Saint-Germain could be dark horses as well. Not that any of that matters to Atletico nor to Simeone. The Rojiblancos are used to being the underdogs and they thrive in that role. They have strengthened well, while no key players have left, and they have kick-started their season with an impressive 4-0 win at Celta Vigo on Saturday (following two disappointing draws prior to that in La Liga). So the long road to a third final for Simeone and Atleti starts on Tuesday night in Eindhoven. Will it end with another showpiece appearance in Cardiff in June? It looks tougher than ever this time around - but that is just how they would want it.
