The manager of Atletico Madrid Diego Simeone has contracted coronavirus and he will not participate in the team’s training until he returns a negative result.
Diego Simeone and other coaching crew were tested ahead of the resumption of the club’s pre-season training and only the test of the 50-year-old Argentine tactician returned positive. According to a statement issued by the Spanish La Liga club, the coach was not displaying any symptoms when it was confirmed that he is a carrier of the virus.
The Atletico Madrid‘s football manager has to self-isolate at home in line with social-distancing guidelines in Spain with the hope that he would have fully recovered before the club’s opening match against Granada on September 27.
A statement from Atletico Madrid read: “The first team, coaching staff and auxiliary personnel underwent tests on Friday as soon as they returned from training in Los Angeles de San Rafael after a positive test was returned by a member of the traveling party in the previous tests carried out on Thursday.
“The analysis of these new samples in the laboratory has determined that our coach, Diego Pablo Simeone, has given a positive result for Covid-19.
“Fortunately, he does not present any symptoms and is isolating at his home and fulfilling the quarantine after taking training with the team since last Monday.”
The coaching timeline of Diego Simeone
After starting his coaching career with an Argentine club, Racing in 2006 and went on to coach other Argentine clubs, Estudiantes (2007–2008), San Lorenzo (2009–2010), and River Plate (2009–2010), Diego Simeone flew to Italy to join Atlético Madrid in 2011.
Before he left Argentina, the Atlético Madrid’s manager won Argentine Primera División in 2006 with Estudiantes and won the title again in 2008 with River Plate. He was voted the best manager in the Argentine league in 2006.
However, Diego Simeone who has played for Atlético Madrid (1994–1997) during his playing career, has been having the best of his coaching career in Spain since he joined the La Liga club in 2011.
He won the La Liga title with the club in 2013-2014 season, Copa del Rey in 2012-2013, Supercopa de España in 2014, two UEFA Europa League (2011–12 and 2017–18 seasons), UEFA Super Cup in 2012 and 2018. He has also taken the club to two UEFA Champions League finals.
Besides the titles he has won for Atlético Madrid, Diego Simeone has won the European Coach of the Season award and three La Liga Coach of the Year award for himself.
