3 Transfers that led to split between Diego Simeone and Atletico Madrid Sporting Director | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid will see the end of an era at the end of the calendar year, with Sporting Director Andrea Berta bringing to an end seven years of his reign at the Metropolitano. Berta will leave, with many citing the arrival of Director of Football Carlos Bucero as a key factor.

Bucero certainly seems to have been empowered to take decisions, and Relevo reference that as a part of Berta’s decision. This summer Bucero was key in the arrivals of Julian Alvarez, Robin Le Normand and Alexander Sorloth, although Bucero preferred Javi Guerra to Conor Gallagher.

They continue on to say that there had been a gap growing between Diego Simeone and Berta though too. It can best be explained by three particular transfers. In 2021, Brazilian forward Marcos Paulo arrived, in spite of Simeone making it clear he was not a fan. Paulo is yet to make his debut and has made various loan trips, but still has 18 months left on his deal.

Secondly, Joao Felix – the Portuguese is perhaps a more predictable point of tension. Felix signed for €127m, but never saw eye to eye with Simeone. Berta insisted that Simeone kept trying with Felix to get the best out of him due to the money they had invested, but Simeone’s patience had long-since expired.

Thirdly, Arthur Vermeeren’s curious arrival was the point of no return for Berta and Simeone. The Belgian teenager arrived for €22m last January as one of the hottest prospects in European football, but left on loan this summer to RB Leipzig, who are expected to make the deal permanent.

Vermeeren started just one match, and was taken off at half-time, the reason being that Simeone did not feel he fit what he had asked for, and did not want the player. He preferred to sign Boca Juniors midfielder Alan Varela, who ended up moving to Porto for €12m.

Simeone has proposed his signing again this January, while Berta has been more keen on the likes of Samu Costa, Luis Milla, Morten Hjlumand and Jerdy Schouten.

It does seem as though Bucero’s arrival has provided a shake-up at the Metropolitano. During Atletico’s poor form earlier this season, the idea that Atletico were exploring their alternatives to Simeone was attributed to Bucero. To Simeone’s credit, eleven straight wins is an impressive response.