Champions League final: Zidane and Simeone - One match away from managerial greatness

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This evening sees Zinedine Zidane pit his wits against Diego Simeone for the second time this year.  The first meeting came at the beginning of the Frenchman’s reign and, like the previous two seasons, ended in a home defeat for Real Madrid.  Questions were asked after the game whether this exposed the flaws in appointing an inexperienced manager, something club president Florentino Perez rarely does.
The criticism levelled at Zidane was unfair as Real have only beaten Atletico once since the 2014 Champions League final. That loss back in February proved to be the catalyst for Real Madrid’s revival in fortunes as they powered to 12 straight league victories and only finished a point behind champions Barcelona.  Lesson learned.

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For Atletico and Simeone it was a case of winning the battle but losing the war. A tough Champions League campaign seemed to affect their domestic form and despite seeing off the tougher tests in their league run-in, it was Levante who crushed their title hopes and also allowed Real to leapfrog them into second place. Simeone is great at relieving the pressure on his team and while finishing third was probably the preseason mandate, they should’ve finished above Real.
There’s no doubting that Diego Simeone’s time at Atletico Madrid has been nothing short of extraordinary.  The side was floating around aimlessly in the league as Valencia were firmly established as the number three side in Spain. Atletico fans didn’t expect to get much out of matches against their city rivals, who were often fighting for the league, and they needed a kick up the arse – and they got one by appointing the Argentine.

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The progression has been extraordinary.  They found success in the Europa League, the UEFA Super Cup, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup and won La Liga.  They broke the unwritten rule, that no one can compete and better the big two in Spain, while establishing themselves as one of the toughest teams to beat in world football.  There is, however, one trophy missing; the cherry on the top of everything Simeone has achieved: the Champions League.

On the other side of the city, European trophies are commonplace in Real Madrid’s steep history.  It might have taken a bit too long for them to secure ‘La Decima’ but there’s no doubting, for fans and players alike, the Champions League is the most important trophy.  “If we win the Champions League it’s worth a lot more than Barcelona’s double,” were the words from Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this week.  I don’t know, if the roles were reversed, the same line of thinking would apply but it’s a curious approach to take.

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Zinedine Zidane would love nothing more than to add the European trophy to his managerial CV.  It’d be a huge starting point for his reign at the club and give them added impetus heading into the new season.  The irony is that a loss could result in him losing his job or at least being handed a different role. Sevilla’s Unai Emery has been sounded out as a possible replacement should things go wrong in Milan – talk about heaping pressure on a guy.
And, in a roundabout way, a second final loss for Simeone would dent an otherwise incredible season. There’s a feeling Atletico have worked out how to beat Real and this is purely a mental battle for the players as their system works. Yet, in Europe, Simeone has failed to beat Real Madrid. They’ve played each other three times and Real have emerged winners twice and the other was a draw.

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Some are even suggesting that Simeone could leave if he wins the Champions League, as what else would there be left for him achieve at the club?  I don’t think that would be the case as he’s talked about wanting to lead the team out at their new stadium which is still some 2-3 years away.  And, if you’ve seen Atletico over the past few seasons, you’ll know they continue to improve despite a high turnover of players – something which should subside now debt levels have been reduced and income is at a record high.

It’s a tough game to call and it’s crucial that Mark Clattenberg doesn’t become the centrepiece of it all.  No one wants to be talking about the referee tomorrow morning.  An English official should allow the game to flow more and that might benefit Atletico due to their physical style, but Real won’t shirk fighting in the trenches tonight either.  By hook or by crook, both are desperate to win.

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While in the stands and on the pitch it might be a war, there’s a huge amount of mutual respect between the two coaches.  Both of them have been around the game long enough to know these moments can define a career or cause it to spin out of control and therefore it’s crucial to keep expectations realistic.

Zidane summed it up perfectly when asked if it’d be a disaster if Real Madrid lost this evening: “It’d only be a disaster if we don’t give it everything we’ve got. If that’s not enough, then that’s football, you never know what is going to happen. The only thing I can say is that we’re prepared to have a good game.”