when Luis Enrique changed the fate of Atlético and PSG bathed Simeone in gold

This Wednesday, on the fourth day of the league stage Champions Leaguethe fifteenth match will take place on the benches between Louis Henry And Diego Simeone. Only Ernest Valverde Most of all he met with “Lucho” – a total of 17 meetings. These two technicians, among the most prominent of the last decade, have seen their paths and the paths of their respective teams, PSG And Atlético Madridwere intertwined.

Luis Enrique and Simeone, who had already matched their time as players, find themselves once again on the path to the Champions League, a trophy they are both now aiming for as coaches of two clubs with big ambitions and enormous media pressure. For PSG, a team that has invested millions in signings and big names with the aim of winning the crown Europethe title is an inevitable goal. For Atlético under Simeone, this is the missing peak to cement their golden era.

The fates of these coaches could change dramatically from what was already known in 2011, when Atlético Madrid was looking for a new coach and Luis Enrique was the main candidate. Just from Barça BThe Asturian coach was in talks with the red and white board about joining the team. However, at the last minute he changed course and signed a contract with Rome.

This forced Atlético to opt for Gregory applean election that did not last long as he was fired at the end of that year. With the team in crisis, the club turned to Simeone, who eventually became a key figure in the club’s transformation.

Luis Enrique recalled this chapter at the pre-match press conference in Paris, saying: “The interest was right, but I had already given my word to another club. Although Atlético was very lucky, because I wouldn’t have had even half the years.” What Simeone was, I don’t have that energy. Atletico fans are lucky.”

Simeone led Atlético to an era of titles, including two SuspenderA Royal Cup and two Champions League finals. Since then, he has earned the respect and admiration of his fans and his players, remaining on the bench for over ten years and being an icon of the club. However, the name of Luis Enrique has repeatedly appeared in the orbit of the Madrid club.

Especially when Simeone went through difficult times on the bench. After the elimination of the Spanish team in the tournament Qatar World CupLuis Enrique was available, and with “Colo” in a difficult situation, there were rumors that the Asturian could be his replacement. However, the management’s trust in Simeone was decisive, and the Argentine coach extended the contract until 2027.

PSG doubles Simeone’s salary

The connection between both coaches is not limited to Atlético Madrid. On the contrary, PSG have also targeted Simeone more than once. In 2018 Carla Pereira“Cholo’s” wife said in an interview that her husband received an offer from the Parisian club, which was willing to double the salary he received at Atlético. “Diego received very important offers. “Paris Saint-Germain paid him twice as much as he signed with Atlético,” Pereira commented at the time. But Simeone rejected this offer, like others who came to him in recent years, deciding to stay in Spain and continue his project in the red and white team.

Since then, PSG have repeatedly tried to sign Simeone. After departure Mauricio Pochettino In 2022, Cholo’s name was heard on the air again. Princes Park as a possible candidate to take the reins of a team hungry for success in Europe. However, until now these approaches have been nothing more than rumors or unfulfilled desires.

If there is one thing that characterizes the confrontations between Luis Enrique and Simeone like the one that took place this Wednesday, it is their intensity. The two coaches had a rivalry on the bench that began when the Asturian was coaching Barcelona and the Argentine had already consolidated his style at Atlético.

At this stage, Luis Enrique’s Barça, led by the formidable MSN —Messi, Suarez and Neymar— won a series of seven victories in a row over the Rojiblancos. However, this series of victories was interrupted at the moment of greatest tension for the culé. In the quarter-finals of the Champions League of the 2015/16 season, Atlético Madrid managed to come back from a 2:1 score in the match. Vincent Calderonwith two goals Anthony Griezmann. This victory not only destroyed the defending champions, but also denied Barça the opportunity to become the first team to win back-to-back Champions Leagues in the modern era, a feat that had never been achieved at the time.

Football, always full of surprises, does not exclude the possibility that Luis Enrique and Simeone will continue to cross paths in the future. Although PSG have invested in Luis Enrique in the hope that he will be the coach who will finally lead them to European glory, and although Atlético continue to trust Simeone to keep the team stable and competitive, the fate of these two coaches is still undecided. full of unknowns. What’s worse: both contracts end in 2027.