Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterOnly a very special few managers are able to shape a club in their image the way Diego Simeone has at Atletico Madrid.The Argentine arrived at the club in 2011, taking over at a side that was unable to move away from the shadow of their neighbours and turned them into a unit that could - and regularly does - take on Europes best and win.Saul Niguez rose up through the Atleti academy and admits that Simeones impact on him has been life-changing.Article continues below You may like The way he sees football his tactical awareness, his understanding of whats needed to change a game its something Ive never seen before Martin Odegaard on his admiration for Mikel Arteta Antonio Conte changed everything. He revolutionised football in England Pedro on Contes seismic impact at Chelsea Mourinho was a born winner he pushed us, he took us to the limit. Real had gone too long without winning and a club of that magnitude couldnt allow that to happen Marcelo on Jose Mourinhos El Clasico impact at Real Madrid Niguez on the man who changed Atletico foreverDiego Simeone was the first person who believed in me, Niguez tells FourFourTwo. Hes almost a god at Atleti, but hes earned that status.He has changed the clubs history and played a decisive role in its success. You can see it in the number of years hes been there and in the stability he has provided.Simeones greatest gift isnt how he trains, but his ability to transmit ideas. Hes managed to make players do anything for him.The former Argentina international was appointed in December 2011 with the club sitting tenth in the La Liga table. His impact was quick, as he led Atletico to a fifth-place finish and also won the Europa League, beating Athletic Bilbao in the final.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.But when did the Atletico team really begin to believe they could compete with Barcelona and Real Madrid and put a stop to their Spanish duopoly?The 2013 Copa del Rey Final, which we won against Real at the Bernabeu, was a major turning point, Niguez continues.But the club had already been changing for years, since Quique Sanchez Flores won that first Europa League title in 2010.That group of players set the path that others later followed, showing it was possible to make history and go toe-to-toe with Spains two giants.With Simeone, he ensured the players would give their lives for that shirt."Results are another matter, winning or losing is a fine line, but the fans identify with the team and that connection endures to this day.TOPICSAtltico MadridLa LigaJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromDani Gil
