Atletico Madrid suffered a humbling defeat against Real Madrid in the city derby on Saturday evening to ramp up speculation that this will be coach Diego Simeone’s last season at the club. Destroyed by a hattrick by Cristiano Ronaldo, Los Colchoneros are now nine points behind their city rivals in La Liga with the focus already turning to the Champions League, where they have already qualified for the knock-out phase.
 

Simeone’s contract runs until 2018 and despite his desire to lead the team into their new stadium next season, the former Argentine international could bid farewell in the summer after five wonderful years at the club. Always energetic in the technical area, kicking every ball alongside his players, the man known as El Cholo has become a symbol of the Spanish giants but his cycle may have now run its course.  

Current events in the Spanish capital are being carefully watched by Inter executives who, despite recently installing Stefano Pioli as the new man in charge, have never hidden the fact that 46-year-old former player is the man they really want to see on the bench. When Frank de Boer was sacked after just 87 days in charge, it was reported that the nerazzurri would bring in an interim coach before making a summer assault on Simeone. Pioli is certainly not that interim coach and new owners Suning may be left with a huge decision to make at the end of the current campaign should the man from Buenos Aires become available.

Steve Mitchell @barafundler