You win with all styles, not with all players. And all styles are valid within the regulation. Without cheating, the technician can hide with eleven troops around his goal if it seems appropriate to achieve a result. It must be respected. From there, bragging about that tactic is a different story. Not everyone is Pep Guardiola, who dominates and attacks for ninety minutes looking for victory in this way, tweaking and trying to achieve the goal with as many goals as possible. But success has different faces. Other technicians achieved feats using less spectacular methods. There are two notable examples of this in these hours.

With a more modest football than the proposal, less ostentatious and without so much aesthetic pretense, with much fewer titles won or even without Olympic rounds, Cholo Simeone at Atlético de Madrid is historic. They have just usurped second place in the Spanish league from star-studded Real Madrid and qualified for the European Champions League for the 11th time in a row, ensuring their big fans will always be on the biggest stage. Only seven teams have played in the Champions League in the last ten seasons. Aleti is one of them, along with Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Paris Saint Germain, Bayern Munich and Juventus. Colchonero’s team earned 650 million euros in the Champions League in the last decade thanks to invaluable services Cholowho changed the mentality of Madrid players, fans and managers.

It all started on December 27, 2011. On that day, Simeone was introduced as coach after the dismissal of Gregorio Manzano due to poor results. Atlético already flirted with relegation and, worst of all, got used to losing. At that, his first press conference, Diego stated: “I want an aggressive, strong, experienced, counter-attacking and fast team. What we athletes have always been in love with. We are going in search of what our history was.” Full Declaration of Principles. He complied completely. He achieved 100% all goals, seasoned with 2 leagues, 1 King’s Cup, 2 European leagues, two Champions League finals, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 European Cups. After fighting for the title against Madrid and Barça. And he positioned himself as a giant of planetary proportions. That May 24, 2014, he was 30 seconds away from peak glory when he won 1-0 over Real Madrid in the Champions League final. However, Sergio Ramos’ goal in the 93rd minute shattered his dream. That goal emotionally demolished Atléticos, and in overtime they beat Madrid 4-1.

“Great technician, great worker, great leader. If he had been a coach two or three decades ago, he would have written world history, but in today’s offensive football, his approaches are enough to be competitive, but not victorious. He’s one of those who still crosses the bus in front of the goal,” Colombian friend Ricardo Rozo tells us. Precise analysis. That doesn’t take anything away from that. From the club of eternal misfortunes to the transformation into an icon of struggle, triumph and character. A feat that history will keep in the golden seat. You have to dig a lot to find another epic like that in a technician Cholo. It’s not just winning the title, it’s a reversal of fortune. His feat convinced the leaders to jump on the bandwagon of the new and fantastic Metropolitan Stadium. It’s a Ferguson mattress. No one led more than him there. He restored their greatness and because of that he entered the Rojiblanco legend.

Another feat achieved from the bench is Eddie Howe, a young and fantastic 45-year-old English strategist who opened the windows of Newcastle United to let light, sun and air into the lungs and souls of the players. fans The Magpies, the club of Jackie Milburn, Bobby Charlton’s most famous uncle, among his various football uncles. And despite not having won anything yet, this is perhaps one of the happiest moments for the black and white club in its 130 years of existence. After many dark years – and two relegations – the team from the north-east of England are third in the Premier League and have qualified for the Champions League after twenty years. The whole city touches the sky.

But you have to summarize. On Thursday, October 7, 2021, the purchase of the club by the State Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia for 80% of its shares, worth 300 million euros, was made official, with the aim of taking it to the top of football. in England and Europe. Gift. Just one year ago, Chelsea was sold to North American businessmen for $5.312 million. And right now there is a firm offer for Manchester United of 6000 million euros.

With Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman believed to be the richest man in the world, it was thought that Newcastle would go out and buy the football universe. Everything was backwards. In Newcastle he moved with unexpected caution. Especially since the team was last in the table and everyone predicted a safe relegation. The first step was to hire Eddie Howe, who was unemployed. Eddie rose to fame with a feat perhaps unique in history: leading Bournemouth from League Four to League One. In addition: due to financial problems, the club was fined 17 discount points and banned from hiring players. It seemed that he was doomed to 5. But first he saved him from further descent, and then he brought him to the top with a ladder.

Howe took Newcastle to just 5 points in 11 games played in the 2021-2022 season. It was shipwrecked at the bottom of the table, alongside Norwich, Burnley and Watford. These three were relegated, and Newcastle was saved with 49 points. Eddie is a mixture of Simeone and Jürgen Klopp. Without pieces, they put together a cohesive, competitive team that stands out for its ferocity on the pitch and is very difficult to score goals. The champion, Manchester City, with the least broken fence, conceded 31 goals, Newcastle 32. In January 2022, the team was already showing progress, and as soon as the winter transfer window opened, they made some signings to strengthen the skeleton of the list. They paid €102m, according to Transfermarkt, to bring in Bruno Guimaraes (€42m), Chris Wood (€30m), Dan Burn (€15m), Kieran Trippier (€14m) and Matt Target (on loan). ). All of them helped round off a great 2022, save the category and lay the foundations for another bigger goal. What just happened.

Already relieved and convinced of the Howe project, the managers appealed for a more generous checkbook: for this course, they managed to get the passage of the notable Norwegian striker Alexander Isak (70 million euros from Real Sociedad) and the excellent offensive midfielder Anthony Gordon, from Everton (45.6 million euros). And the team took off. The excellent Paraguayan striker Micky Almirón and Brazilian Joelinton, the bulldozer, were already there. Now they have promised Eddie to give him a few more reinforcements so that he can certainly fight for the title in England and fight in the Champions League. The problem is not in money, but in fair play financial. It must be adjusted to income. But with what’s already there, Eddie Howe is sure to make a lot of noise. (OR)