5 Things for Atletico Madrid Fans to Look Forward to in 2015-16 Season

For all football fans, Atletico Madrid's included, the conclusion of the season brings with it both a sense of relief and emptiness. Relief that the emotional roller coaster will temporarily cease; emptiness because there's no riveting action to watch for a couple of months. 

For Atletico Madrid, however, the feeling of emptiness might be a touch greater this summer, having finished 2014-15 without major silverware—the first season in which that's happened during Diego Simeone's tenure. 

As a result, Atleti fans need things to look forward to in the 2015-16 campaign. Across the following slides, we look at five such things.

The Continued Rise of the Club's Younger Faces

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For much of Diego Simeone's reign at Atletico Madrid, the club's success has been built around a strong core of experienced heads. Players such as Tiago, Gabi, Miranda, Diego Godin, Juanfran, Arda Turan and Filipe Luis have, at different periods, formed the basis on the side. 

But few young faces have held prominent roles at the Vicente Calderon in that time—something that's set to change in 2015-16.

Next season, Koke's transition from a wide midfielder to a central orchestrator will likely be accelerated, particularly when you consider Gabi's decline this season. Alongside him, expect to see plenty more of Saul Niguez, whose development took another step forward in 2014-15.

At the back, Jose Gimenez could be poised to permanently replace Miranda, having enjoyed a sensational breakout season that has placed him among the brightest defensive talents anywhere in Europe.

The Potential Return of a Homegrown Talent

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In addition to the likes of Koke, Saul Niguez and Jose Gimenez, 20-year-old midfielder Oliver Torres could be another youthful regular in the Atletico Madrid XI in 2015-16.

Having completed a strong loan spell at Porto this season, in which he scored seven goals and tallied six assists as a central midfielder under Julen Lopetegui, the Atleti youth product looks set to return to the Vicente Calderon this summer.

In April, the club's sporting director, Jose Luis Caminero, reported by the club's official website (h/t Football Espana) indicated that Atletico intend to bring back Torres for the 2015-16 season while praising the youngster's stint at Porto. His return would boost the club's midfield stocks and heighten the technical quality of the squad.

A talented playmaker with excellent control in tight spaces, Torres could give Atleti a much-needed injection of creativity. But more than anything, fans will be delighted to see the return of a homegrown player. 

A Return to the Style of 2013-14

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If there's truth to the reports concerning Atletico Madrid's transfer pursuits, it appears that Diego Simeone is aiming to recapture the style of Atleti's play from the club's extraordinary 2013-14 season.

According to L'Equipe and ESPN FC, Simeone wants to bring Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani to the Vicente Calderon. Elsewhere, Heath Chesters of Here Is The City relayed a report from Marca suggesting that Simeone is targetting Elche's powerful forward Jonathas. The Argentinian was full of praise for the Brazilian in a recent interview on Al Primer Toque (h/t Goal).

At this stage, it remains unclear whether a deal for Cavani or Jonathas will eventuate, but the intent is clear: Simeone wants to sign another forward in the Diego Costa mould. 

Either one of the aforementioned strikers would allow Atleti to recapture the essence of their play from 2013-14, giving the team a powerful, hard-running outlet perfectly suited to deep-lying, counter-attacking football. 

And it's that style that's been somewhat lost in 2014-15, with Mario Mandzukic's presence having forced Simeone to adapt his team's approach, seeing Atletico caught in an uncomfortable middle ground between counter-attacking football and a more patient, intricate method. 

But the capture of a forward with similar attributes to Costa—both Cavani and Jonathas fit the bill—would return Atleti to the style with which they're most effective.

Another Tilt at the Champions League

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Though Atletico Madrid put together a sterling run to the 2014 Champions League final, it's easy to forget that top-tier European football is still a relatively new experience for the club. 

Indeed, prior to the last two campaigns, Los Colchoneros had featured in just three of the previous 35 editions of the continental competition. 

Therefore, unlike at clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, Champions League football hasn't yet become routine for Atletico; there's still a feeling that Diego Simeone's men are the new kids on the block when it comes to the competition's pointy end.

It means that just another season in Europe's elite club competition is something to look forward to for the club's fans.

'The Never-Ending Derby'

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In 2014-15, Atletico Madrid met Real Madrid eight times, leading Marca to dub the fixture "the never-ending derby."

For Atleti, the clashes with Real were a source of much satisfaction, with Diego Simeone's side winning four and losing just one of the eight matches. Unfortunately for the men from the Vicente Calderon, that single loss saw them dumped out of the Champions League at the hands of their glamorous neighbours.

But the dynamic is changing between the teams. Atleti no longer possess the inferiority complex that dogged them during a 14-year winless stretch against Los Blancos; they now relish their meetings with Real. 

And with Atleti securing a place in next season's Champions League, it's possible the two teams could face off in another six games in 2015-16, which, like it was this season, would be a lot of fun to watch.