Kieran Trippier spent two and a half years at Atlético Madrid under Diego Simeone. During that time Trippier played 68 games in LaLiga and 86 games across the board, never scoring a goal but playing well at the back when called upon.
Trippier would eventually make a move to Newcastle United midseason for £12 million plus add-ons, but the right back still remembers his time at Atlético Madrid fondly. In an interview with BBC Radio Trippier talked about just how obsessive Diego Simeone is as a manager and what he learned from the coach.
From strange texts to phone calls in the middle of the night, Diego Simeone is eating, breathing, sleeping soccer and Kieran Trippier found out all too well. Here is what the Newcastle United defender had to say about Diego Simeone.
Kieran Trippier on Diego Simeone
Diego Pablo Simeone of Atletico Madrid (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)
“What you see on the touchline, this is what [Simeone] is like every day in training… He is so emotional, obsessed. There have been times when I’ve been in bed, asleep, and he has called me. It is crazy, something I have never experienced. He is talking about things I could have done better and I’m trying to sleep”, Trippier told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I’ve had random texts, calls from him talking about the game and that is where he is obsessed. He is an unbelievable manager. Emotional is the exact word to describe him… The training was relentless, it was crazy… He is one of those managers where you need to run through a brick wall for him… If you don’t work hard, he will just pull you out. He doesn’t care how good or how big a name you are – you need to run. His speeches are unbelievable, and I respect him for that”, Trippier ended.
