Atlético dreams of the Champions League

There are guys in football who, even if they leave, will never leave completely. This happened to Raul Garcia at Atlético, who still finds it strange to see him in a different shirt even though he left for Athletic nine years ago. That’s where he hangs his boots. But in Bilbao they will not fail to feel him, as the Metropolitan does, with applause and this phrase: “You will always be one of us.” The guy who strengthened Luiz’s number 8 returned as a footballer for the last time with his honor and integrity on and off the field, and if the stands greeted him with loud applause, Simeone did it with a resurgence: Atlético locked themselves in and relied on counter-attacks. Or at least try.

Cholo came out with all the steps already taken, he did not want to melt again under the fire of the dragon like the other three he had seen at Athletic this season. Both movement and space were gasoline for Valverde’s men. Valverde, who took the ball that Atlético gave him, with Williams as a spark and with Vivian on the right and Lecue on the left, in the absence of his usual full-backs. Nahuel was a right-handed Cholo, despite all the evidence this week indicating that he was not. The first ball he touched, he lost. The second one too. A lot of nervesWhistles have begun to be raised over his actions, although the blame lies more with the one who insists on continuing to do so than himself.

De Paul came to his aid with the help of Lecue, who went to clear Llorente’s cross and left the ball at his feet. The Argentine controlled and released his foot, removing the cellophane: the ball touched Ruiz de Galarreta before entering the target. At that time, the lead over the main rival in the Champions League was six points, almost a virtual goal. However, Athletic did not lose heart. He wiped the dust from his clothes, stood up and continued running. Athletic took a step back as Athletic fired his bullets. But Sunset hit a high forehand and Iñaki landed a header. Then came that corner from the Basques. And embarrassment. Because someone who is part of this fandom, capable of the best, of this applause for Raul Garcia from within, has done the worst, even if it was just one person or two.

As Nico Williams was about to throw the ball, he heard one of those screams that should have disappeared from football long ago., a racist cry because of the color of his skin. The match was stopped and the referee started the score sheet. Over the public address system they asked to stop these insults that make the players blush, even if it was only one thing, it was and that was enough, Koke, Griezmann and Jimenez asked the stands to no longer be there, although from in At this point, some of the audience began booing the younger Williams just for complaining. Play stopped and when it resumed six minutes later, Nico himself ran into the Metropolitano celebrating the draw. Now the gift was made by Griezmann, which was an inappropriate mistake for a player like him.

The performance was comic, but not funny. Because Simeone would like to emulate those times at Atletico when shoulders like Raul Garcia’s lifted him, but today cracks fill his space. In one minute, Jimenez, Hermoso and Grisi ruined everything. The first for turning around without looking at the ball until the crowd screamed and warned him that he had an opponent on top. Second, it was cut for nonsense. The latter – for a pass for terror, which helped Iñaki. The elder Williams ran to give Guruzeta, the younger’s assistant, for a one-on-one match. And Niko began to run through the grass, pointing at the skin on his hand. Rest.

Eight minutes after the break, Koke raced down one of those corridors where only his boot finds the ball behind the centre-backs, so that Correa, until then only a name written in the eleven, controlled and, hand in hand, sent the ball into the net. Previously, he would intercept the ball and move to receive a pass. A guardian angel in the darkest times is always a solution and a blessing for Simeone. The athletic man did not get up this time. After the 2:1 score, everything was clear, as if one memory of the barge had already filled in what the Champions League would have done without it. Even with the goal average he had when he arrived in Madrid, he did not go away: Lino repeated it ten minutes before the end of the match, hitting the post before Unai Simon turned it into his own net. Raul Garcia entered the game amidst the noise of the goal, to more long applause, while Lino flicked the ball away from Griezmann and Simeone completed his tribute with Saul as fourth man from the right. He left nine years ago, and Cholo couldn’t hide it either. Its hole is on the right. His hole is on the board. This is a dry hole. The one that Bilbao and football will miss next season. Atleti is currently playing in the Champions League. Yesterday the fight ended. He named the place he was looking for after himself. The day one or more people tarnish Atlético’s greatest asset: its blessed fans.

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