Fernando Torres, Atletico Madrid manager? Why ex-Liverpool fan favourite is being touted to replace Diego Simeone
Diego Simeone freely admitted that he felt an overriding sense of relief after Atletico Madrid picked up their first win of the new Liga season on Saturday. As the Rojiblancos boss admitted after the 2-0 victory over Villarreal, "It wasn't just another day, after only two points from three matches."Of course, while attention has now switched to Atleti's Champions League opener against Liverpool at Anfield, speculation over Simeone's future is unlikely to die down anytime soon. His status as a club legend is already set in stone but there has been a gradual erosion of his influence at the Metropolitano over the past year or so.A second successive summer spending spree has also ramped up the pressure on Simeone to deliver to win a first major trophy since the sensational 2020-21 Liga title triumph. In that context, this feels like a make-or-break campaign for the club's iconic coach.But if he were to stand down at some point between now and next season, who could possibly fill the void? According to Simeone's former assistant coach German Burgos, there's only one possible choice. "Fernando Torres," the Argentine told MARCA only last week, "he's ready to do it."That may seem like a bold claim, given Torres has yet to manage at the very highest level, but the former Spain striker is held in the highest esteem at Atleti - and not just because of his past exploits as a player...
Diego Simeone freely admitted that he felt an overriding sense of relief after Atletico Madrid picked up their first win of the new Liga season on Saturday. As the Rojiblancos boss admitted after the 2-0 victory over Villarreal, "It wasn't just another day, after only two points from three matches."Of course, while attention has now switched to Atleti's Champions League opener against Liverpool at Anfield, speculation over Simeone's future is unlikely to die down anytime soon. His status as a club legend is already set in stone but there has been a gradual erosion of his influence at the Metropolitano over the past year or so.A second successive summer spending spree has also ramped up the pressure on Simeone to deliver to win a first major trophy since the sensational 2020-21 Liga title triumph. In that context, this feels like a make-or-break campaign for the club's iconic coach.But if he were to stand down at some point between now and next season, who could possibly fill the void? According to Simeone's former assistant coach German Burgos, there's only one possible choice. "Fernando Torres," the Argentine told MARCA only last week, "he's ready to do it."That may seem like a bold claim, given Torres has yet to manage at the very highest level, but the former Spain striker is held in the highest esteem at Atleti - and not just because of his past exploits as a player...
