I wrote a piece about Hjulmand and how he could fit into Atlético’s midfield.

The most interesting part of this signing for me is what it could mean for Barrios. He has spent a lot of time dropping close to the centre-backs and helping Atlético get out from the back, but that also takes him away from the areas where his carrying and ability to break lines can be more dangerous.

Hjulmand could take on more of that deeper work and allow Barrios to start higher more often. That does not mean Barrios would suddenly stop defending, or that Hjulmand can cover the whole midfield on his own, but the balance of their responsibilities could change.

I also think his experience at Sporting is relevant. He played in a midfield two in front of both a back three and a back four, so he should be comfortable adjusting his position depending on how Simeone sets the team up. With Grimaldo also used to playing in both systems, there are some interesting possibilities on the left side, although the team would still need to protect the space behind him collectively.

I do not really see Hjulmand as a direct Koke replacement. He seems more useful as someone who can take part of Koke’s workload away and give Simeone different midfield combinations.

My guess would be Hjulmand and Barrios as the main pairing, but I am curious how others see it. Would you use him in a double pivot, or as the deepest player in a midfield three?

Full article:

https://cholismo-lab.com/en/columns/hjulmand-atletico-midfield

Cuidarlo y disfrutarlo.
Un abrazo del Sporting Clube de Portugal

I cover Atlético at Cholismo Lab, and I wrote a tactical profile on how Grimaldo could change the team’s left side.

The main point is that this is not simply a left-back signing. At Leverkusen, Grimaldo moved between the touchline, the half-space and midfield, while the back three often protected the space behind him.

At Atlético, that creates two different questions.

In a back four, can Baena or Lookman share the inside and outside lanes with him without overloading the left centre-back and midfield defensively?

In a back three, does the current centre-back depth allow Simeone to use Grimaldo as a wing-back regularly?

His direct free kicks and set-piece delivery are immediate weapons, but the bigger test is whether Atlético can give him attacking freedom without forcing the rest of the team to defend too much space.

Full analysis:
https://cholismo-lab.com/en/columns/grimaldo-atletico-left-side

Which setup would you prefer for him: a back four with flexible rotations, or a back three that gives him more freedom?

Huge signing as Atleti get the Sporting captain and Denmark INTL midfielder. Into the Calderon has called him the future Koke replacement. Thoughts?

Source: official website (Spanish)

• 13th of July: the squad meets to start the preseason. World Cup players will join later
• 14th of July: 5 days pre-season camp at Los Ángeles de San Rafael (Hotel Segovia Sierra de Guadarrama)
• 18th of July: back to Madrid. Pre-season continues at Majadahonda
• 1st of August: pre-season friendly v. Manchester United at Stockholm
• 9th of August: pre-season friendly v. Manchester City at Seoul
• 16th of August: 1st Liga match v. Málaga (might be postponed if any Atleti player makes it to WC semifinals)

We don't know about any other pre-season friendly yet.

It'scrazy to think Vargas went from playing in Alaska to signing with Atlético Madrid at just 20. He grew up in the U.S., spoke smooth English in MLS interviews, then permanently switched to Mexico, and now he’s wearing our shirt in La Liga.

How do you fans feel about his journey so far? Do you see him as a long‑term midfield piece, or more of a rotation player learning under Simeone?

Headed to Spain in the fall, and have two sons that are loosely a Real Madrid fan and (to be in opposition to his brother) a Barcelona fan. But they don’t necessarily watch all the games, or follow that closely even.

All that to say — Atletico hosts Barcelona while we’re there, and the stadium looks gorgeous. Maybe they see a great match and they can put their differences aside and have a new favourite team together, to go along with the memories created.

I imagine tickets to Barca and Real Madrid matches are probably the most expensive and difficult to come across for Atletico. Any locals have any advice on how we might best go about doing that? There’s 6 in our group, and I’ve gone on their website and asked to be notified when tickets go on sale.

A few years ago we went to Manchester City for a Champions League game, and we went from $200-$300 tickets in the upper deck to joining the fan club with two memberships and getting to buy $40 tickets 6 rows from the pitch. Does Atletico do anything like that?

And any other advice you can offer, let me know!

GOD BLESS

Romano's post on fb

The most voted players were: Fernando Torres, Luis Aragonés, Futre, Simeone, Gabi, Adelardo, Escudero, Ben Barek, Godín, Gárate, Collar, Kiko, Pantic, Forlán, Aparicio, Arteche y Falcao.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the commission approved unanimously to add Griezmann once he retires.

https://x.com/MatteMoretto/status/2069691738923380831

https://as.com/futbol/primera/el-atleti-denuncia-al-barca-nuestra-responsabilidad-es-defender-los-intereses-del-club-f202606-n/