Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone challenges star man – ‘We need more from him’

Madrid, Spain – With a pivotal Champions League last-16 first leg against Club Brugge looming on Wednesday, Atlético Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has turned up the heat on record summer signing Alex Baena, publicly demanding the 22-year-old raise his level after an underwhelming first half-season at the Cívitas Metropolitano.

Baena, signed from Villarreal for a fee that made him the most expensive of the club’s nine off-season acquisitions, was earmarked as the creative heartbeat of Simeone’s rebuild. Instead, a combination of muscular injuries and patchy form has restricted him to a supporting role; he was an unused substitute in last week’s Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg draw against Barcelona and lasted only 58 minutes of Sunday’s 3-0 league defeat at Rayo Vallecano before being hooked.

Speaking ahead of the Brugge encounter, Simeone left no doubt that patience inside the dressing room is wearing thin.

“He has a positive attitude, with a willingness to always give his best, with a unique talent,” the Argentinian told Diario AS. “We need more from him and we are going to demand from him what we see he has.”

The comments reflect a broader unease around the club. Atlético have followed impressive victories over Barcelona and Real Betis with tame reversals against the same opponents, leaving them stuck in a cycle of inconsistency that threatens their top-four hopes and European progression.

“The match against Rayo wasn’t good in the second half; the first half wasn’t so bad,” Simeone admitted. “The same against Betis. But there were stretches where we didn’t win, and it’s a run of consecutive matches where winning is what matters… We do, however, demand that each player contribute more from their respective position.”

Club captain Koke Resurrección, himself enjoying a renaissance at 34, offered a more philosophical take on the fluctuations.

“How do I explain it? We’re human, we have good days and bad days,” he said. “If we had the recipe for playing perfectly, like against Betis or Barcelona, we’d play like that every day… We need to understand what’s happening to us and strive for consistency to achieve great things.”

Koke, who has formed a reliable midfield partnership with 21-year-old Pablo Barros, insists the squad’s commitment is not in question.

“I’m in the right place right now, doing what my coach asks of me,” he added. “A lot of people thought I was finished because of my age, but at 34 I feel good and I can contribute to the team.”

Whether Baena can respond to Simeone’s challenge and provide the creative spark Atlético crave will be pivotal not only against Brugge, but for the remainder of a campaign that still offers silverware on two fronts.