When you think of Atletico Madrid, many people’s minds will go back to their struggles in La Liga, but the once-lucrative team is now in an unprecedented predicament. The team that used to be a great team has fallen on hard times, and since the start of the 2024/25 season, their performance can be described as “falling apart”. From a team that was expected to be a title contender to one that is not even close to being consistent, many fans have wondered: what happened?
A game that should have been won, but became a Waterloo
Let’s take a look at the league first. Many people feel that Atletico should have a solid win against an opponent like Las Palmas, but what happened? In the last minute of the game, the opponent was killed, not only lost the game, but also widened the point gap to 10 points. With this, the title race is almost out of the question.
This is something that was hard to imagine in the past few years. The old Atletico wasn’t a team that rolled over so easily. Now the media is using all sorts of words to describe them – “surrendered”, “in a slump” – and it’s hard to accept.
Burning a lot of money, but the results are not improved
When it comes to the root of the problem, we have to mention reinforcements. Before this season, Atletico invested more than 180 million euros in the transfer market, introducing many famous players. Logically, after spending so much money, the results should have improved. But the reality is that these new arrivals haven’t brought much help, but instead have made the defense even more vulnerable.
When facing weak teams, they often lose points; the offense is also not a strong threat, can not play the rhythm, and can not find a way to break the goal. With this kind of performance, they can’t even maintain the basic stability, not to mention getting points.
The whole season has been a nightmare
Throughout the season, Atletico’s performance can only be described as “terrible”. Not to the strongest teams, but to the teams at the bottom of the table. The spirit of toughness and not admitting defeat easily in the past seems to have disappeared.
Perhaps the most disappointing thing is the performance in the Champions League. After being eliminated by city rivals Real Madrid, the whole team was like a deflated ball of leather, with no fighting spirit at all. It wasn’t just the scoreline, but the whole team seemed to have lost their motivation and direction.
Core players’ form is slipping and mistakes are being made.
In fact, if you watch the game carefully, you will realize that the problem lies in some key players. They used to be the thighs of the team, leading the team forward with their outstanding performance. But now, the form of these core players has obviously declined, and some of them even made such low-level mistakes as oolong goals.
Why is it like this? It could be because of too much pressure, or it could be because they can’t keep up physically due to ageing. Regardless of the reason, these small mistakes accumulate and eventually turn into one defeat after another.
And once you lose, your morale is even lower, and you’re more likely to make mistakes in the next game, creating a vicious cycle. It’s obvious that they themselves don’t want this, they just haven’t found a solution yet.
What does the future hold? Maybe a major overhaul is needed
There’s a lot of talk about whether Atletico need a complete overhaul. The so-called “major surgery” is actually a change in personnel and tactics.
It is said that the management is already considering a large-scale change in the summer, possibly selling some underperforming veterans and bringing in fresh blood to replenish the squad. But whether this will be effective or not, no one can guarantee. If the replacements don’t gel well, or the newcomers don’t give a good performance, then the problem still can’t be solved.
But if the operation is correct, perhaps the current difficult period is just a short adjustment phase. Maybe after this period, Atletico will be able to get back on their feet.
Is this really the end?
So here’s the question: are Atletico’s good times over? Honestly, it’s too early to tell. After all, they had risen to prominence in the late 2010s and remained competitive for years on end. It is indeed surprising that they have suddenly hit a low point, but we can’t say that they are finished.
This is a time when the club must seriously reflect on their problems and find a way to improve. If they continue to muddle along, they will really only become part of history. But if they dare to make changes and respond positively to challenges, they may still have a chance to rise again.
It’s inevitable that there will be difficulties during the transition period, the key is not to give up
Another possibility is that Atletico are in a period of transition. When any team goes through a period of renewal, there will be a period of adaptation. It’s actually normal to have struggles during this time. As long as they can stabilize their position and slowly adjust their rhythm, they still have a chance to reach a new peak.
So now is not the time to sing their praises. We can see what they will do next – will the coaching staff change their playing style? Will the management bring in players that actually work? Does the club have a clear direction? These are the things that will determine the future.
Problems are serious, but there is still hope
Overall, Atletico Madrid is in big trouble. Whether it’s the players’ form, tactical arrangement, or the overall teamwork, there are a lot of problems. But it’s not like they don’t have a chance to turn things around.
The key lies in how to deal with this crisis. If they choose to escape and stick to their own ways, they can only be eliminated from the game; but if they bravely face the problems and boldly reform, they may soon see a turnaround.
In any case, as fans, we still hope to see this once powerful team get back on their feet and show their passion and strength again. Let’s wait and see!