Best Soccer Formations: The Philosophy, History, Pros and Cons Behind the Numbers
Take a look at the best soccer formations that are synonymous with the sport and have marked entire eras.
Diego Simeone deserves all he achieved. If you don't believe it, read the manager's views on coaching and dedication to the job. In an interview with the magazine Ole, Cholo explained to what extent his football mania goes and it shows why he is one of the best-paid figures in the sport.
For Cholo, there is no stopping and his mental approach to competition might be a cause for concern of psychologists. If Diego wasn't so successful and there were some who would dare tell him, that is.
"Football is 24 hours a day. That's how it is. When you're sleeping there's someone else who's awake. And the one who is awake is thinking and if you are sleeping.... So, there is an advantage for the one who is awake. That's why you have to be careful," stated Simeone.
Even when he is out doing other things physically, his mind is racing with the next problem in mind.
"If you go to the cinema, it is true that if the movie lasts an hour and a half.... It can be great, but during a pause, or when it slows down a bit, you start to think about who is playing, if Joao is playing or Correa is playing. It's difficult to tell the person next to you. But in your head you don't stop thinking, even if you go to rest or to sleep. And many times my way of relaxing or going to sleep is to imagine how the team might be formed."
Uplifting the club of Atletico Madrid like no other coach has done to a team in the 21st century, Simeone has a guiding gauge on how he runs his squad.
"The only thing I look for is to be able to see what I like, to feel identified with the footballers who go down what I want on the field. And I don't care what we play, whether it's a friendly, Copa del Rey, Champions League final, Europa League.... We have to compete. Because tomorrow in the newspaper and in the world it will be Atletico Madrid team and the result. "
His players respond to his commitment with equal measure, as evident by Mario Hermoso's statements.
He elevated the club to a world-class level in results but there are still things to work on behind the scenes.
"The growth of the club has been enormous. And consequently, the search for more growth continues to be part of our project, not only in terms of football. We have a fantastic stadium, but we need our own sports center, which today is still on loan. We have few fields for training, two fields, so you can imagine? Imagine, there are two fields where we can be seen from the outside on a daily basis. I always say that we train for the whole of Spain, we put up covers, but you can see it all the same, because everything is transparent with the sun."
