Atletico Madrid

Inter Milan director Beppe Marotta has confirmed Diego Godin is closing in on a move to Italy, telling reporters an official announcement could arrive soon.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) ahead of Thursday's UEFA Europa League tussle with Rapid Wien, the former Juventus director also expressed his delight at Godin's goal for Atletico Madrid against his former club on Wednesday: "I am happy; we are at a very advanced stage in negotiations, and it was nice to see Godin score yesterday. As for the rest, let's just say that I am very optimistic and believe that we'll be able to make an official announcement pretty soon."

Inter are Juventus' mortal enemies, and the fans rejoiced at Godin's Champions League goal that put their rivals in a deep hole:

#Inter | Nel San Siro versione nerazzurra c’è già chi accoglie #Godín così, dopo #AtlétiJuve di ieri.#InterRapid #UEL pic.twitter.com/nnEYOZO9wE

— Simone Nobilini (@SimoNobilini) February 21, 2019

The Uruguayan put the final 2-0 score on the board on Wednesday, handing Atletico a massive advantage ahead of the second leg. The Spaniards will travel to Turin for the return leg on March 12.

Godin has been with Atletico since 2010, emerging as one of the world's best defenders in the last few years. At age 33 he remains remarkably consistent and did a fantastic job of shutting down Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday.

He's one of the fans' favourites players and ranks among the club's most loyal servants—something he underlined after his goal:

Godin slapping the badge as he runs towards the Frente is literally the most beautiful sights on earth

— ATLETICOFANS (@AtleticoFans) February 20, 2019

Seeing him in another shirt will be an odd sight, and the timing of Marotta's announcement may not sit well with fans of the Rojiblancos who are still celebrating their big win.

He won't be the first veteran defender to move from Atletico to Inter, as former central partner Miranda joined the Nerazzurri in 2015. The Brazilian has made eight starts in Serie A this season, and Godin's arrival won't be good news for his playing time.

In Milan Skriniar and Stefan de Vrij, Inter already have two class options at centre-back, but that won't stop them from signing Godin as a free agent. Catalan newspaper Sport linked the former to Real Madrid and Barcelona earlier this season, and with Godin in the fold, his exit may be more likely.

Alvaro Morata believes Giorgio Chiellini went down too easily in the buildup to his disallowed goal during Atletico Madrid's 2-0 win over Juventus in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. 

Morata, 26, looked to have opened the scoring for his new club at the Wanda Metropolitano, only for the goal to be chalked off by VAR after the Spaniard was adjudged to have pushed Chiellini before heading home. 

Late strikes from Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin secured a deserved victory for Atleti over the Italian champions in the last-16 first leg (US only):

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1098348752891461632

But Morata, who spent two seasons at Juve before returning to Real Madrid in 2016, was understandably aggrieved that he was denied his opening goal for Atleti, per Rai Sport (h/t Football Italia):

"It's a very important victory because Juventus are one of the best teams in the world. It won't be easy in Turin. I celebrated my goal here because it meant so much to me, but I'd never do it again. I wanted to greet my former fans, who did a lot for me.

"Chiellini? If he did to me what I did to him, it wouldn't have been a penalty. I'd need much more to throw Chiellini to the ground. In return leg you can never say never. We must go there with belief."

Morata joined Atleti on an 18-month loan deal from Chelsea in January.

He has yet to open his account for the club, but he has twice been denied by VAR. He was also stripped of a goal he scored against Real in La Liga on February 9.

The striker was not the only one baffled by the decision to disallow his goal against Juve, as Chiellini went down under little pressure:

Did Morata foul Chiellini? Maybe. Probably. 60/40 that he fouled him. But there's too much doubt to overturn a decision that has already been made. If VAR can't prove something conclusively, the original decision should stand.

— Andy West (@andywest01) February 20, 2019

So ridiculous that the Morata goal doesn't count. It's not enough of a shove to count as a foul, no way.

— Dean Jones (@DeanJonesSoccer) February 20, 2019

Morata did not start against the Old Lady in Madrid but was sent on as a second-half substitute for Diego Costa.

Costa will miss the second leg through suspension after picking up a yellow card early in the contest, so Morata could be in the starting XI for the return leg at the Allianz Stadium on March 12.

Atleti have secured themselves a comfortable lead in the tie, but they will need to be at their best again if they are to advance to the quarter-finals at the expense of one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has explained his controversial celebration during Wednesday's 2-0 win over Juventus, apologising if he offended anyone with the gesture. 

The coach grabbed his crotch after one of the goals and gesticulated to the fans, echoing a similar gesture he made during his playing days with Lazio.

Per Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia), he explained he did this to show his fans his team has "cojones":

"I did it as a player in Lazio-Bologna and I did it again to show our fans that we have cojones. It wasn't aimed at the other team, I was turning towards our own supporters.

"It's not a nice gesture, I admit, but I felt the need to do it. It was such a tough game, we fought so hard and Diego Costa worked really hard when he wasn't 100 per cent fit. I had to show what I was feeling.

"I can only apologise if anyone was offended, but I did it from the heart."

Here's a look at the celebration:

Diego Simeone celebrating Atletico's goal. pic.twitter.com/ffxEwEp5rK

— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) February 20, 2019

Atletico were the better team in a defensive contest that burst open in the final 25 minutes. Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin both converted from set pieces to give the Rojiblancos a deserved win and put the team in a great position to advance to the next round.

The score could have been even more one-sided but the video assistant referee overturned a goal from Alvaro Morata for a light shove on Giorgio Chiellini. The Italian didn't put up much resistance, and Simeone did not like that call at all, per sportswriter Robbie Dunne:

Simeone on Morata disallowed goal: I still believe that VAR will help us. If you think a player of his height can fall like that ... then keep believing it

— Robbie Dunne (@robbiejdunne) February 20, 2019

But even without that disallowed goal, Wednesday's outing was a successful one for Atletico. Their defence is among Europe's best and is unlikely to concede three goals in Turin, which is what Juventus would need to knock the Spaniards out in regulation.

Atletico's great showing on Wednesday shouldn't come as a major surprise:

Atlético Madrid have kept more clean sheets at home across all competitions than they have conceded goals under Diego Simeone:

• 204 games
• 124 clean sheets
• 120 conceded

He knows how to build a fortress. pic.twitter.com/FxUYVTceXl

— Coral (@Coral) February 20, 2019

Simeone out-coached Massimiliano Allegri and found plenty of success with his substitutions. Morata, in particular, changed the match when he came on in place of Diego Costa, who was a surprise starter after only just returning from injury.

Costa was booked early and will out on the return leg on March 12, as will Thomas Partey. Alex Sandro will miss out due to suspension for the Bianconeri.

Nobody enjoyed Jose Gimenez's opening goal more than Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone.

The Atletico defender put the home side ahead 1-0 in the 78th minute Wednesday in the first leg of its Champions League round-of-16 matchup with Juventus.

Simeone responded by turning to the crowd and placing his hands suggestively around his groin.

Diego Godin doubled Atletico's lead with an 83rd-minute goal. Los Rojiblancos will now take a 2-0 advantage into the second leg at Allianz Stadium on March 12.

Alvaro Morata has said "not even Jesus Christ pleased everybody" when asked about the controversy surrounding his move to Atletico Madrid.

The striker joined Atleti on loan from Chelsea in January. Some Atletico fans were against the move due to Morata's previous history with Real Madrid.

The Spaniard started his youth career at Atletico, but he then moved to Real's academy before being promoted to the senior side.

In between two separate spells at Real, Morata spent two years at Juventus, who Atletico play in the UEFA Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

Ahead of the crucial clash, Morata said he has been welcomed by his new team-mates at Atletico even if the fans have not all been on side, per AS (h/t Joe Wright of Goal):

"You can't please everyone on every side. Not even Jesus Christ pleased everybody. I'm very happy with my team-mates, with the club. They have received me very well and that's something to appreciate.

"I want to show why I'm here and to continue growing. The truth is I haven't needed to adapt much, because there are people here who I knew. Now, I just want to win. I can't stop thinking about winning. It's difficult, but we want to do it."

Morata, 26, has yet to find goalscoring form since moving to the Wanda Metropolitano:

Alvaro Morata compares himself to Jesus. I see no resurrection, yet. https://t.co/9BAO0HwlOn

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) February 20, 2019

He left Chelsea having netted just five goals in 16 Premier League appearances in 2018-19, and he has not found the net in three La Liga appearances for Atleti.

Wednesday would be a fine moment for him to open his account for Diego Simeone's side.

Atleti's meeting with Juve is arguably the tie of the round, and the hosts will almost certainly need to earn a lead from Wednesday's opening leg if they are to knock out the Italian champions.

Los Rojiblancos lost their last fixture at the Wanda, going down 3-1 to Real Madrid in La Liga on February 9.

But before that, they were unbeaten in 16 matches at home, so they can be confident of getting a decent result even against a side of Juve's quality.   

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone is happy to have Diego Costa back among his selection ahead of Saturday's visit to Rayo Vallecano and says the fit-again frontman is compatible with Spain team-mate Alvaro Morata.

The pair are yet to play together. Morata only joined on loan from Chelsea in January, while Costa has been sidelined following foot surgery in early December. 

However, the 30-year-old could make his return from a two-month injury against Madrid rivals Rayo, and Simeone told a press conference Friday: "Costa is a beast, he's raring to go, he's ambitious and as everyone knows, he's a warrior. We hope he can release what he has inside, we badly need it."

It seems unlikely Antoine Griezmann will lose his place in the XI anytime soon, but Simeone assured Costa and Morata can be a threat together in his setup: "There is no question that Morata and Costa are compatible in a solid, structured team."

Simeone isn't likely to talk down the potential his players have to combine with one another, but Spanish football writer Sid Lowe suggested it will be a case of one or the other—not both—when appearing on Eleven Sports:

| ✍️ |@sidlowe showed excitement, but also discussed the challenges for Alvaro Morata back in #LaLiga with Atletico Madrid. The main one? Diego Costa's return... 🗣

Who would you rather have? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/1AWys8IPxD

— ELEVEN Football (@ElevenSportsFB) January 30, 2019

Morata moved to the Wanda Metropolitano on an 18-month loan last month following an unremarkable year-and-a-half with Chelsea. The Independent's Jack de Menezes wrote Atletico can make the move permanent for a £50 million fee at any point during his stay.

His return to Los Rojiblancos comes 12 years after he left their academy for Getafe and eventually Real Madrid, a past that may leave supporters of his new club less inclined to favour him.

Not only is there that hint of politics, but ESPN's Mark Ogden picked Costa as the more talented of the Stamford Bridge alumni:

Chelsea showing what happens when you replace top players with less able ones. Courtois / Kepa, Kante / Jorginho, Costa / Morata, Terry & Cahill / Luiz & Rudiger. Pulisic is no Hazard, either...

— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) February 10, 2019

Three strikers in a 4-4-2 system doesn't go, and Morata has failed to inspire in his only senior appearances for Atletico. He started in a 1-0 loss at Real Betis followed by a 3-1 Madrid derby defeat to Real.

Sportswriter Ben Hayward echoed the sentiment that when both fit, Costa will play ahead of Morata, with Griezmann governing the other place in attack:

Morata is a good player who has lost his way somewhat. And he wouldn't be first choice if Costa were fit.

— Ben Hayward (@bghayward) February 9, 2019

Morata may strike as a good deputy to have as an option, but he'll be hoping to prove Simeone right and show a return to La Liga also signals the revival of his form, regardless of whom he's partnering in attack.

Diego Simeone will remain in charge of Atletico Madrid until 2022 after extending his stay at the Wanda Metropolitano on Thursday.

Atleti teased the announcement on Twitter before releasing a video celebrating Simeone prolonging his tenure in the Spanish capital:

https://twitter.com/atletienglish/status/1096068393667571713

#Simeone2022 #EnamoradoDelAtleti #14 pic.twitter.com/PoygeSRItR

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) February 14, 2019

Putting pen to paper on fresh terms will rule out any familiar speculation linking Simeonewith a move away.

As Football Italia noted, the former Inter Milan player has spoken of his desire to manage the Nerazzurri in the past.

There have been doubts about the future of Luciano Spalletti in Milan, with the Mirror (h/t Will Griffee of the Daily Mail) even linking former Inter chief Jose Mourinho with a return.

Football Italia also named Premier League duo Manchester United and Chelsea as possible suitors for Simeone. United have caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in charge until the end of the season after sacking Mourinho in mid-December.

Meanwhile, Maurizio Sarri is under pressure at Chelsea after some heavy defeats, most notably a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City recently.

Diego Simeone extends his contract with Atletico until 2022. Always linked with Chelsea when there is a managerial change. #cfc https://t.co/KzPcubP4fI

— Oliver Harbord (@ojharbord) February 14, 2019

Convincing Simeone to stay put represents a major coup Atletico. Los Rojiblancos have become a major force, both domestically and in Europe, since the Argentinian took charge in 2011.

He has since won the UEFA Europa League twice, beating Athletic Bilbao in 2012 before seeing off Marseille last season. Simeone also broke the Barcelona and Real Madrid stranglehold on La Liga when Atleti captured the title in 2014. It was the club's first top-flight domestic championship since 1995-96, when Simeone underpinned the midfield as a player.

While winning the league title is Simeone's crowning achievement as a manager, his time in charge may be defined more by near misses in the UEFA Champions League.

He guided the club to the final of Europe's premier club tournament in both 2014 and 2016. On both occasions, Simeone and Atletico lost out to city rivals Real. While the defeats were painful, Atleti hadn't been in the final since 1974, a measure of how much the club has improved under "El Cholo."

🔴 Diego @Simeone has signed a new @Atleti contract until 2022.

🏟 412 Games
✅ 252 Wins
🤝 93 Draws
❌ 67 Defeats
🧤 216 Clean Sheets
📈 61.17 Win %

1 🏆🇪🇸 La Liga
1 🏆🇪🇸 Copa del Rey
1 🏆🇪🇸 Supercopa de Espana

2 🏆🇪🇺 Europa League
2 🏆🇪🇺 UEFA Super Cup

👏 Excellent record. pic.twitter.com/gYq0wQzTWY

— SPORF (@Sporf) February 14, 2019

Simeone has achieved his success on the solid foundation of rock-solid defences. While he's often been known for his pragmatism, the 48-year-old also deserves credit for how he has consistently reinvented squads after losing key players.

He saw striker Diego Costa and left-back Filipe Luis move to Chelsea after the title win. Blues loanee goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also returned to Stamford Bridge.

Simeone responded by replacing Costa's goals with Antoine Griezmann, a player who lacked the former's strength but offered greater pace and a more perceptive range of movement.

Jan Oblak was added from Benfica to be Courtois' successor, and he's helped ensure Atletico remain competitive.

With Simeone still defining a tough style of play for a club led by intelligent recruitment, Atletico are sure to continue competing with the biggest names on the continent.

Diego Simeone refused to blame the video assistant referee for Atletico Madrid's 3-1 derby defeat at home to Real Madrid in La Liga on Saturday.

Simeone: “I do not usually talk about the VAR. It will clearly improve for the good of everyone. I’ve not seen the replays. VAR not why we lost today.”

— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) February 9, 2019

Atleti lost to goals from Casemiro, Sergio Ramos and Gareth Bale. Antoine Griezmann equalised after Casemiro opened the scoring, but Ramos scored from the penalty spot to restore the visitors' lead three minutes before the break at the Wanda Metropolitano.

It took a ruling from VAR to confirm the penalty after Vinicius Junior was brought down by Jose Gimenez.

Atletico thought they had equalised when Chelsea loanee Alvaro Morata lobbed Thibaut Courtois 10 minutes after the restart. VAR ruled the goal out, though, deeming the former Real striker to have been offside.

There was more controversy later when Morata went down in the box after an errant header by Bale. Replays ruled out what had looked a certain penalty for the home side.

Even though a few crucial calls didn't go the way of his team, Simeone instead opted to credit the opposition for their performance:

Simeone: “It was a tough hard game in which they were better than us, more forceful. They played a very good game and we congratulate them.”

— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) February 9, 2019

It was a fair assessment, despite how often VAR came to the aid of Los Blancos. The visitors still managed to exploit what had previously been a water-tight defence:

Atletico Madrid had only conceded FOUR goals at home this season before today. Real Madrid have scored three this afternoon...

— Phil Kitromilides (@PhilKitro) February 9, 2019

Teams who scored 3 goals away at Atletico Madrid in La Liga since 2012:
2016 - Real Madrid
2019 - Real Madrid
That's it

— Michael Yokhin (@Yokhin) February 9, 2019

There were also issues at the other end of the pitch, where Griezmann and Morata are still struggling to jell. The latter hasn't scored in two matches since arriving from Chelsea during the January transfer window.

Morata also remains without a goal in this particular derby, having failed to find the net in five previous meetings between the two rivals from the Spanish capital.

Problems at both ends of the team have afflicted Atleti at the worst moment. This result, on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Real Betis last time out, denied Simeone's men the chance to close the gap on leaders Barcelona to just three points.

The Blaugrana can now go nine clear of Atletico with a win over Athletic Bilbao at San Mames on Sunday. It would leave Real as Barca's closest challengers with Atleti to rue a lack of goals as well as sudden and damaging inconsistency at the back.

Atletico Madrid defender Lucas Hernandez has said he'll sit down with the club to discuss his possible exit at the end of the season and revealed Real Madrid made a bid for his services two years ago.

Hernandez spoke to AS' F.J. Diaz ahead of Saturday's derby clash in La Liga, and when asked about being close to a move to Bayern Munich a few months ago, the 22-year-old said:

"To be totally honest, my personal situation changed and I had to make a decision that wasn't all about me. It's true that in the transfer window there was a bid from another major European side and the first thing I did was relay that to Atletico. They made it clear that it was not an option they wanted to contemplate and we all agreed to review my situation before the end of the current season.

On the subject of interest from Atletico's local rivals, he said: "It's true that approximately two years ago Real Madrid made a significant offer via my agent, but at the time I felt I owed much to Atletico."

As sportswriter Dermot Corrigan shared, the Real revelation may have soaked up the headlines, but the bigger story was about Hernandez's immediate future:

Atletico’s Lucas Hernandez with PR job interview in AS ahead of derbi - headline is "I rejected Real's big money offer" but real message is either Atletico up his wages considerably or he's off to Bayern in summer https://t.co/mkIyG28Gzd

— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) February 8, 2019

The France international was strongly linked with Bundesliga giants Bayern before and during the January window, and David G. Medina and Isaac Suarez of Marca even reported the Bavarians were willing to trigger his release clause.

It prompted Atletico to release a statement via their official website denying Hernandez had any intention of leaving.

The left-back, who can also play in the centre, has become a key contributor for Los Blancos. He's also a full France international, winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Les Bleus.

His brother Theo Hernandez made the switch to Real in 2017 despite spending the bulk of his youth in Atletico's academy, but the switch hasn't worked out so far, and he's now on loan with Real Sociedad.

Lucas' steady development in the Spanish capital was always going to invite transfer speculation. Bayern's defence is built around the duo of Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng, but the latter in particular has lost a step in the last two years, and the Bavarians could be on the lookout for an upgrade.

They aren't known for spending big in the transfer market, and a move for Hernandez would be out of character, per sportswriter Ryan Baldi:

Significant in that they are (reportedly) about to double their transfer record for a very good player but one who’s not a superstar. To me, that suggests a change in transfer strategy rather than a one-off splurge. Maybe Bayern have accepted they have to spend more to keep up

— Ryan Baldi (@RyanBaldi_) December 19, 2018

Hernandez's combination of upside and production makes him a valuable asset who could well be worth north of €80 million. Prices for defenders have soared in recent years, and Atletico won't have any intention of selling on the cheap.

They'll likely have to offer him a significant raise at the end of the season to convince Hernandez to sign a new deal.    

Atletico Madrid announced Monday that they have completed the signing of Alvaro Morata from Chelsea on an 18-month loan deal:

🔴⚪🔴 #WelcomeMorata!
Agreement with @ChelseaFC over the loan of @AlvaroMorata for the remainder of the current season and the next one.
FULL STORY ➡ https://t.co/KiMEnruwJk#AúpaAtleti pic.twitter.com/vHYMUSv3Vp

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) January 28, 2019

Dominic Fifield of the Guardian reported on January 21 that the capital club will be able to make the transfer permanent at the end of the season if they wish for a fee of £48.5 million.

Morata makes the move after Gonzalo Higuain joined the Blues for the rest of 2018-19.

The move appears to certainly be the end of Morata's career at Stamford Bridge. The former Real Madrid and Juventus forward arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2017 for a then club-record fee of £60 million, and while he enjoyed a bright start to his Blues career, he's struggled as of late.

In the current campaign, the Spain international has only found the net five times in the Premier League, leaving Chelsea without a reliable goalscorer. Because of his profligacy, manager Maurizio Sarri has moved Eden Hazard to the point of the attack despite being at his best from the left.

As Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph relayed, the manager appeared intent on a change of personnel up top:

Chelsea have backed Sarri on this - Higuain, aged 31, on loan would not have been the club's choice but the head coach was adamant he wanted him. Morata will now leave, either on loan or permanently.

— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) January 16, 2019

The attributes are there when it comes to Morata, as his movement is sharp, he has a good change of pace and can be physical in the penalty area.

The main issue for him appears to be a lack of confidence, meaning a decent run of form can be spoiled by missing a chance. Atletico fans will hope their firebrand coach Diego Simeone will be the man to finally add some fire to the forward's belly.

As Spanish football commentator Rob Palmer noted, Simeone has had mixed results when it comes to signing strikers:

Morata to @Atleti
I’m a big fan of Diego Simeone but he judges strikers like Sir Alex used to collect keepers (between Schmeicel & VDSar eras)
Bought & sold Manzukic, Jackson Martinez, Vietto, Gamiero, Carrasco, Falcao
Kalinic & Martins on way out
More in @SUR_English this week

— Rob Palmer (@robbopalmer) January 17, 2019

During his time in the Premier League, the Spaniard did at least show an aptitude for aerial battles:

Alvaro Morata: Only Harry Kane (8) has scored more headed goals than @AlvaroMorata (7) than any other Premier League player since the start of the 2017/18 season

For more player stats -- https://t.co/caLqHq4Il6 pic.twitter.com/i7I6GeabtZ

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) January 21, 2019

At Atletico, he will face competition for his place in the lineup. While Antoine Griezmann is a surefire starter, Simeone clearly rates Diego Costa, too, although he is currently out due to injury; Nikola Kalinic has struggled to show his best since joining in the summer.

Morata has played for some huge clubs in his career already, and it's clear coaches do see something in him. At 26, he should be in the prime years of his career, and a move back to Madrid to work under a coach like Simeone feels like a scenario that may galvanise him.