5 Atletico Madrid Players Whose Stock Tumbled in the 2014/15 Liga Season

After a truly remarkable campaign in 2013-14, the 2014-15 season was one of slight regression for Atletico Madrid in La Liga. 

Last season's league title and run to the Champions League final was followed by a 12-month period in which major silverware has eluded the Vicente Calderon club.

The departures of key figures such as Diego Costa, Thibaut Courtois, Filipe Luis and David Villa last summer had a profound impact on Los Colchoneros in 2014-15. But the slip from the top also featured other elements, one of which was a dip in form from a number of Diego Simeone's most trusted players. 

Across the following slides, we examine five Atleti players whose stock tumbled this season.

Gabi

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For his outstanding campaign in 2013-14, Atletico Madrid captain Gabi was nominated for the LFP's Best Midfielder award alongside Real Madrid's Luka Modric and Barcelona's Sergio Busquets. 

Having never previously been considered among Spain's elite midfielders, Gabi was instrumental in the club's title success, anchoring Diego Simeone's system with his tireless work rate, setting a supreme example for those around him. 

But the 2014-15 season was very different for the 31-year-old. 

With the opening half of his campaign interrupted by injury, Gabi just couldn't seem to get going. There were times when he looked slow, times when he was outfought and times when he was outworked—unthinkable in the previous season. 

His record of 2,612 minutes was more than 500 short of his 2013-14 benchmark. His goals tally dropped from three to zero. His number of assists slumped from eight to five. 

In 2014-15, Gabi just wasn't the same player. 

Miranda

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In 2013-14, Miranda's defensive partnership with Diego Godin came to be recognised as the finest such partnership around Europe. 

With Atleti's defence anchored by the pair, the team conceded just 26 goals in 38 league games and consistently shut out the most devastating attacking units in the game, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

But Miranda's campaign in 2014-15 was a mixed one, disturbing that partnership's continuity. 

Indeed, the Brazilian's season was one of extremes, featuring everything from commanding individual performances and key goals to major errors and red cards. And with niggling injuries also affecting Miranda, one of Diego Simeone's most reliable players consistently found himself fighting for a place in the XI with the precocious Jose Gimenez.

Now 30 and in the final year of his contract, the centre-back's time at the Vicente Calderon could be drawing to a close.

Guilherme Siqueira

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In 2013, Guilherme Siqueira was being targeted by Liverpool, reported by Sky Sports. In 2014, he was being linked with Manchester United and Real Madrid by the same outlet. 

After strong seasons with Granada and Benfica, the Brazilian's stock was on the rise. 

But a difficult campaign with Atletico Madrid has changed all that. From the minute Cristiano Ronaldo switched sides to target him in Atleti's league clash with Real Madrid in September, Siqueira's season became a struggle.

Defensively, he appeared shaky, seeing Cristian Ansaldi preferred by Diego Simeone until the Argentinian was struck down by injury. Then, right-back Jesus Gamez began seeing time as a makeshift left-back ahead of Siqueira. 

After arriving for a fee of €10 million, the 29-year-old was a disappointment. According to Marca, Atletico are already looking to bring back Filipe Luis to address the club's problem at Siqueira's position. 

Raul Garcia

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After being third on the club's goalscoring charts in 2013-14, one felt that Raul Garcia would enjoy a prominent role for Atletico Madrid in 2014-15 following the departures of Diego Costa and David Villa. 

Garcia had been an extremely effective hybrid forward in Atleti's title-winning season, thriving in a floating role in Atleti's direct, counter-attacking system. 

But in 2014-15, the 28-year-old saw his playing time decrease, particularly in the Champions League, as Antoine Griezmann, Mario Mandzukic and Fernando Torres established themselves as Diego Simeone's preferred options in attack. 

In turn, Garcia battled for a midfield place in a reworked system but was forced into a back-up role behind the likes of Koke and Arda Turan.

Mario Suarez

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In a chaotic night against Barcelona at the Vicente Calderon in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, Mario Suarez epitomised the issues Atletico Madrid had with discipline in 2014-15. In the space of 15 minutes, the Spaniard picked up two needless yellow cards to leave the hosts with nine men (Gabi had already seen red).

The night was also a neat encapsulation of his season, given that he managed to collect 14 yellow cards in just 28 appearances across all competitions.

As such, Diego Simeone opted for his steadier, more level-headed midfielders ahead of Suarez in 2014-15, seeing the 28-year-old restricted to just 11 league starts—five fewer than last season and 12 fewer than the season before that.

And with younger faces such as Koke and Saul Niguez heading toward more prominent central roles, Suarez doesn't look set to turnaround his slide in playing time.