Giuliano Simeone: Atleti’s next top winger | OneFootball

If there’s one phrase to sum up Atletico Madrid’s 2024/25 season, it would be ‘close, but no cigar’.

Atletico came close to knocking out the reigning champions Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 only to lose on penalties, with Julian Alvarez’s effort bizarrely annulled after a video review.

They came close to reaching the Copa del Rey Final, only to lose to Barcelona, with Ferran Torres’ early goal in the second leg setting up an El Clasico match-up with Madrid.

Despite their best efforts, Atletico are set to end the season trophyless for the fourth season in a row.

Los Rojiblancos sit third in the La Liga table with eight games remaining. They are nine points behind Barca, six behind Madrid and four above Athletic Club.

Nonetheless, there is at least one bright spot to take away from what has otherwise been a frustrating campaign for Atleti – the emergence of Giuliano Simeone.

He was born in Rome on December 18, 2002, when his father, Diego, was playing for Lazio.

Simeone senior cancelled his contract several months later and returned to Atletico for a second spell before finishing his playing career with Argentine side Racing Club.

He remained in his homeland of Argentina for another six years, starting his management career with Racing Club, Estudiantes, River Plate – where Giuliano began his development as a footballer – and San Lorenzo before deciding to head across the Atlantic Ocean in January 2011 and join Italian side Catania.

He lasted just a few months in charge before returning to Racing but ended 2011 by returning to Atleti – this time as a manager.

The rest, as they say, is history. Simeone has transformed Los Colchoneros from a middling Spanish side to a genuine powerhouse, having won two league titles, two Europa League titles and one Copa del Rey.

He is the longest-serving manager in Spain’s top flight, having presided over 726 matches, and he is also the highest-paid coach in Europe.

It was only a matter of time before Giuliano joined his father in the Spanish capital, leaving River for Atleti in 2019. He worked his way up from the youth teams before finally making his first-team debut on April 20, 2022.

He was then loaned out to second-tier Real Zaragoza, where he bagged nine goals and three assists in 36 appearances, prompting Atleti to renew his contract through 2028 before loaning him out to Deportivo Alaves.

But rather than confirm his positive sensations with a breakout year in the Basque Country, Simeone broke his fibula and damaged his ankle after suffering a horror tackle from Jose Joaquin Matos in a pre-season friendly against Burgos.

After five months on the sidelines, Simeone gradually went from a benchwarmer to a vital cog during the final weeks of the campaign, starting in six of Alaves’ last seven matches of the 2023/24 campaign and bagging a goal contribution in three of those.

Javier Mascherano took notice and called him up for international duty in the summer’s Olympic Games. Simeone represented his country for the first time at any level and earned a trip to France.

He bagged a brace in his unofficial debut, a friendly against Paraguay, before grabbing a goal in Argentina’s opener versus Morocco.

While he was unable to lead Argentina past France and into the quarter-finals, he did enough to earn a place in the Atletico first team.

An unused substitute in their first three matches, Simeone gradually began to insert himself into the team and scored his first goal on November 3 in a 2-0 win versus Las Palmas.

He hasn’t looked back since then, establishing himself as a key part of Atletico’s starting line-up.

From Sergio Aguero to Miguel Angel Benitez, from Diego Forlan to Joao Miranda, quite a few South American stars burst onto the scene for Atletico, and all signs point to Simeone continuing this trend.

Capable of operating as a forward, an attacking midfielder, a winger or a wing-back, Simeone’s excellent dribbling skills and close control enable him to evade pressure and escape congested situations, constantly keeping his eyes up with the ball glued to his feet.

He combines his rapid speed with cunning movement off the ball, enabling him to get a head start, launch himself into a counter-attack, and eventually work his way into space.

The 22-year-old is now physically mature and able to ride challenges and hold his own in ground duels, and his non-stop work ethic and athleticism have allowed him to become an indispensable figure.

Whether he’s hassling opponents for possession and disturbing their build-up play, Simeone is committed to maintaining Atleti’s high-intensity set-up, creating goalscoring chances for his teammates whilst exploiting the opposing press.

And similarly to Benitez, he’s capable of changing direction at a moment’s notice, slaloming out of tackles, and dribbling the length of the pitch.

His unpredictability and overall in-game intelligence allow him to make snap judgments and stay in the right position to react to any given scenario.

He’s always on the move and looking to make an impact. Simeone has already racked up four goals and seven assists in 38 appearances for Atleti this season.

Simeone ranks second in Atleti’s squad for successful dribbles per 90 minutes (1.0) and big chances created (9) in La Liga, whilst he also leads the team in assists (5) alongside Antoine Griezmann.

These performances have prompted the attention of Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, who gave him his senior debut on November 20.

After playing just nine minutes against Peru, Simeone returned to the side in March and played 69 minutes in their 1-0 victory against Uruguay.

He scored three minutes after coming on for Thiago Almada in the following match and put the finishing touches on a 4-1 demolition of Brazil.

Simeone has already followed in his father’s footsteps by playing for Argentina’s national team and Atletico. He’ll have the chance to do something Diego never achieved next year – win a World Cup.

Argentina are seeking to secure their fourth consecutive major tournament after the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa America.

They sit three points clear in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers standings with four matches remaining after winning their last three games.

Whilst he faces ample competition from Nicolas González, Nico Paz and Angel Correa, Simeone’s versatility, aggression and never-say-die spirit should put him in good stead to be called up for next year’s tournament in North America.