Diego Simeone

Diego Simeone has been the head coach of Atlético Madrid since December 2011, by some distance the longest tenure at any major European club. He is Argentine, born in Buenos Aires, and played as a combative central midfielder for Vélez Sarsfield, Pisa, Sevilla, Atlético, Inter and Lazio before returning to Argentina to finish his playing career.

He had already coached in Argentina, and briefly in Italy with Catania, when Atlético appointed him. He had also played for the club, which is part of why the appointment was read as a cultural one as much as a tactical one.

His teams are built on a compact defensive shape, a willingness to concede possession and an intensity he demands visibly from the touchline. That approach has made Atlético a consistent disruptor of a league that two other clubs have otherwise defined, and it has also made him one of the most argued-about coaches in Europe.

Arena Bulletin covers Simeone through Atlético's league and European season, in match reports, team selection and what he says before and after games.