5 Things for Atletico Madrid Fans to Look Forward to in 2016/17 Season
While the international stage has dominated football fans' attentions over the summer, clubs are already preparing themselves for another big year, and pre-season action is only a few weeks away.
For Atletico Madrid and their supporters, the busy summer of tournaments may have helped to quickly consign the pain of defeat in the UEFA Champions League final to history—but now it's all about looking forward, with so many aspects of the team making it one of Europe's most impressive to watch.
Los Rojiblancos have been busy in the transfer market early on, and there is lots, on and off the pitch, for the fans to look forward to in 2016-17.
Diego Simeone Still in Place
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Perhaps the most important news from the club over the last few weeks has been the acceptance of Diego Simeone that he spoke in haste after the Champions League defeat and that he never really wanted to leave at all.
The instigator and mastermind behind Atleti's ascension to the top level of European football, the Argentinian said recently that painful defeats spur people on to greater achievements—and that's something Los Colchoneros will hope rings true.
Atleti were still in the hunt for a Liga and Champions League double in the final weeks of the season, before a late loss on the penultimate day of the league campaign put paid to their hopes of the former, and a penalty shootout denied them European glory shortly after.
Simeone has continued building his squad, and Atletico look certain to be as ferocious and determined as ever next season under his ongoing tutelage.
An All-Star Attacking Lineup
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With Simeone on the bench and the defence looking largely the same as last season, it's clear that Atletico's big point to improve over the summer was their goalscoring ability.
That has been addressed with two signatures, and a third is on the way. Nicolas Gaitan signed from Benfica and Antoine Griezmann renewed his contract at the Vicente Calderon—two goalscoring, left-footed players who can fill in either side of a central striker in Simeone's 4-3-3 setup, or else with Gaitan left and Griezmann as one of two up top in the more usual Atletico style of 4-4-2.
Tactically, they both fit well into the on-pitch arrangement of the team, Griezmann has been a major success in his two years at the club—and a new face will soon join them.
Atletico are linked with a move for Gonzalo Higuain by Marca's Isaac Suarez, and if they land him, they will have a front line to rival Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The Continued Development of Saul, Correa and Carrasco
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One of the most exciting aspects of Atletico's squad is the amount of youthful talents being incorporated into the team on a regular basis. Last season, 15 players aged 22 or under were named in a matchday squad at least once, with 10 of them playing over 500 minutes for the first team.
Aside from first-choice goalkeeper Jan Oblak—already one of Europe's finest and sure to continue along those lines in 2016-17—and international centre-back Jose Maria Gimenez, the most impressive and exciting players to watch develop were midfielder Saul Niguez, winger Yannick Carrasco and forward Angel Correa.
Saul broke into the team halfway through the campaign and ended as one of the best in La Liga, while the two more offensive talents had spells of top-class form, both as starters and off the bench.
All three will have to perform well again over the course of pre-season to prove they deserve to be involved more often, but the trio look set to play a huge part in Atletico's ongoing success.
They might not all be regular XI players, but Simeone uses his subs extremely well, and there are plenty of matches to be played.
Los Hermanos Hernandez
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Toward the back end of the season, Atletico's injury crisis in defence meant Lucas Hernandez was handed his chance at centre-back—and he took it in style.
The biggest compliment that could be paid to the 20-year-old is that Diego Godin was barely missed while he stepped in, looking every inch the part of a classic Atletico centre-back under Simeone: imperious in the air, aggressive and on the front foot in the challenge, adept at reading the game and happy to pass or stride into midfield.
Lucas will likely get game time at left-back as well as centrally in 2016-17, while younger brother Theo has also been tipped for the top.
Marca reported (in Spanish) earlier in the year that Theo's new contract states he will train with the first team in 2016-17 and be available for Atletico B to play, though a loan deal is a possibility.
Like Lucas, the 18-year-old can play both centrally or on the left and, with Sime Vrsaljko also on the verge of completing his move to the squad, per Marca, depth in defence is readily available to Simeone.
An Exciting Final Season at the Estadio Vicente Calderon
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The 2016-17 season will be the final one for Atletico Madrid at their incredible Estadio Vicente Calderon.
In one year, they will be preparing to move to La Peineta, a new-built stadium, and the job of making it an impenetrable fortress will begin.
Before then, Atleti fans have a final year to create the amazing atmosphere that the Calderon has become known for, with flags, shirts and tifos regularly making it one of the most visually impressive grounds around Europe—and that's without considering the noise made by the chanting fans, who are notoriously loud in the support of their team.
Lifting a trophy in the final campaign at the Calderon will be the aim and, if they get their striker signing right and luck is on their side, there's every possibility that the fans will witness Diego Simeone and Co. lifting the Liga trophy on home soil in May.
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