Ten years: the amount of time Atletico have gone
without beating Real
Atletico
Madrid vs Liverpool
Thursday, 22
April 2010
Channel 61 Football Frenzy
: 3:00am - (Fri Morning) (Live)
Europa Cup Semi-Final Game (1st
Leg)
Liverpool fans may feel they
deserve better from the people running their club but when it comes
to unrewarded loyalty and massive potential ruined by gross
incompetence their rivals tonight could be European
champions.
As the old joke goes - the directors of Atletico Madrid would
not be able to organise the proverbial drinking session inside the
giant brewery situated alongside the club's crumbling stadium.
There is no doubting the fanaticism of the supporters. The club
were relegated from the top flight in Spain for the first time in
2000 and promptly sold 40,000 season tickets. There is even a
special room inside the ground where fans can request their ashes
be stored in urns bearing the club's crest so as to remain loyal
beyond the grave.
But shambolic mismanagement has usually been the reward for such
eternal dedication. 'Why do we support Atletico?' says the child to
his father in one of the famous adverts produced every year in
honour of those long-suffering supporters.
Atletico have gone 10 years without beating great rivals Real
Madrid and yet always seem to do Real the begrudging favour of
beating Barcelona.
They scrapped their youth system just as a 13-year-old kid
called Raul was coming through the ranks, therefore allowing him to
join Real.
They have not won the league since 1996 and, although their haul
of nine titles is the third best in Spain, it is small fare
compared to Real's 31.
Slipped through their fingers: Raul came through
the youth system at Atletico
This season's tilt for the title began in typically
self-destructive fashion when they sold right back John Heitinga on
the last day of the transfer window to Everton, leaving coach Abel
Resino no time to find a replacement. Not that finding one would
have been his job any way.
Just like richer neighbours Real, Atletico don't tend to let the
coach anywhere near the player-buying process.
After a poor start Resino soon became the 12th managerial
casualty of the last decade. Atletico compiled a short-list of
replacements but so poisonous is the chalice that they got down to
number seven before Quique Sanchez Flores stepped in.
Old adversary: Ex-United striker Diego
Forlan
There has since been a small improvement in league form,
although they are still known as the only team in Spain who take
the weekends off. Courtesy of midweek form in knockout competitions
they find themselves in the Spanish cup final and tonight one step
from the Europa League final.
It is a step they are capable of taking because, while they
possess none of the consistency necessary in the league, they can
raise themselves for one-off games and the crowd in their creaking
Vicente Calderon stadium, which they are due to leave in 2012, will
roar them on tonight with an Anfield-esque atmosphere.
Fans will hope a rickety defence can hold firm. Centre half
Alvaro Dominguez has been their steadiest defender this season but
he was hauled off after 25 minutes at the weekend after a mistake
led to a goal. Czech defender Tomas Ujfalusi has been their second
best defender but in the same defeat he tried to dribble out of
defence and conceded the second goal.
An all-star attack of Sergio 'Kun' Aguero and Liverpool's old
adversary Diego Forlan occasionally cover the multitude of
defensive sins and it is Liverpool's good luck that Aguero is
suspended. He will be hoping Atletico stay in the tie so he can
shine at Anfield in the second leg.
