Recreate Diego Simeone's title-winning 4-4-2 system in FM24. Learn how Atletico Madrid dominated La Liga and Champions League in the 24/25 season!
Simeone’s Superb Atletico Madrid – 24/25 | FM24 Tactics Recreation (WINS
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Premium: Extra Benefits Amongst an intriguing 2024 Summer transfer window, a certain club’s transfer business seriously went under the radar; Atletico Madrid unexpectedly spent around €185m on talent in the summer window, securing key signings for Diego Simeone following a disappointing 23/24 campaign where the club finished 4th in La Liga. These signings prompted a slight tweak to Simeone’s system at Los Colchoneros, and this system re-shuffle has catapulted the club to a title charge in the Argentinian’s 14th season.
In this article, I’ll be providing my brief analysis of the system and will be
showcasing my recreation of said
tactics in Football Manager 2024, before demonstrating results the tactic achieved in testing! Firstly, let’s
have a look at the system.
In the 23/24 season, Diego Simeone usually opted for a back-five formation (typically the 5-3-2) in games, however, this shape could often see the team forced deep without a viable route out for the counter-attack. Along with this, to help maintain defensive solidity, you’d sometimes see a midfielder/attacker drop deeper too – this could see the side form a back-SIX at times.
Formation Change – 4-4-2
In the 23/24 season, Diego Simeone usually opted for a back-five formation (typically the 5-3-2) in games, however, this shape could often see the team forced deep without a viable route out for the counter-attack. Along with this, to help maintain defensive solidity, you’d sometimes see a midfielder/attacker drop deeper too – this could see the side form a back-SIX at times.
In 24/25, Diego Simeone has changed his sides formation to a 4-4-2. This
change still allows for a compact mid-low block, and Atletico can also
sacrifice a midfielder/attacker without losing too much depth/too many
‘out-balls’ in their defensive shape. Along with this, the formation allows
Simeone to field an extra midfielder/attacker, meaning Atletico Madrid are
more threatening and potent in-possession.
When a team are set-up in a 4-4-2 formation, a picture can easily be painted that the team are going to play cagey, structured football that’s not too exciting to watch; Simeone’s Atletico Madrid break this idea, as they are sometimes wonderful to watch. This season, we’ve seen far more fluidity from Atletico than you’d expect to see from a Simeone side, and this is through players being given licence to roam and link-up with one another – this especially occurs with the strike-partners Griezmann and Alvarez, as they can take it in turns to drop deep to receive to feet, whilst the other takes up a higher and wider position on their side. This is especially seen with Griezmann dropping into midfield. As the Frenchman drops to receive, Alvarez will usually position himself on the shoulder of the centre-back on his side (usually the right centre-back). Due to the potential of a clear 1v1 between the centre-back and Alvarez, the other opposition centre-back doesn’t feel comfortable enough to vacate his position, allowing Griezmann to receive as a spare man.
READ ALSO: Maresca's FM24 Tactic: Chelsea’s Treble-Winning Masterclass
When Atletico have the ball, they’ll opt for shorter passing sequences as players will drop deep towards the ball/rotate towards the ball to receive. Despite this, Atletico will often look for through balls in-behind the opposition’s defence, especially if the defensive squeezes higher up the pitch. Atletico tend to play down the flanks, before rotating possession inside where clusters of players have formed. When Atletico progress higher with the ball, they usually look to work cut-back situations, with their full-backs and wingers combining to get to the byline for cut-backs into the penalty area. Finally, in certain scenarios (such as set-pieces), Simeone’s Atletico are the Kings of the ‘Dark Arts’ in football, and will look to engage in them.
When Atletico lose the ball, they will immediately work like dogs to win it back to prevent dangerous counter-attacking situations. Should they win back the ball, they will look to counter-attack almost every time to devastating effect. When Oblak has the ball from goal-kicks, he typically passes the ball short to the centre-backs, who will almost always look to pass it to the full-backs on their side to progress play on the flanks. To encourage the centre-backs to opt for that method, I applied the ‘Distribute to Full-Backs’ instruction.
When Atletico don’t have possession, they’ll look to form a compact mid-block. Within this mid-block, the centre-backs are given licence to step-up onto opposition attackers if they drop deeper. Atletico Madrid rarely ever press within their defensive shape, and this is to maintain a strong, compact mid-block – a mid-block, of which, they look to prevent opposition central progression from within. This will see Atletico Madrid force opposition teams into wide areas – from here, the winger on that side can drop slightly deeper to support their side’s full-back. Finally, as aforementioned, Simeone wants his team to engage in the ‘dark arts’ of football, and this can see Atletico Madrid players become very aggressive in their challenges/duels out-of-possession.
Not Your Average 4-4-2
When a team are set-up in a 4-4-2 formation, a picture can easily be painted that the team are going to play cagey, structured football that’s not too exciting to watch; Simeone’s Atletico Madrid break this idea, as they are sometimes wonderful to watch. This season, we’ve seen far more fluidity from Atletico than you’d expect to see from a Simeone side, and this is through players being given licence to roam and link-up with one another – this especially occurs with the strike-partners Griezmann and Alvarez, as they can take it in turns to drop deep to receive to feet, whilst the other takes up a higher and wider position on their side. This is especially seen with Griezmann dropping into midfield. As the Frenchman drops to receive, Alvarez will usually position himself on the shoulder of the centre-back on his side (usually the right centre-back). Due to the potential of a clear 1v1 between the centre-back and Alvarez, the other opposition centre-back doesn’t feel comfortable enough to vacate his position, allowing Griezmann to receive as a spare man.
READ ALSO: Maresca's FM24 Tactic: Chelsea’s Treble-Winning Masterclass
Let’s Break Down the Tactic
In Possession
When Atletico have the ball, they’ll opt for shorter passing sequences as players will drop deep towards the ball/rotate towards the ball to receive. Despite this, Atletico will often look for through balls in-behind the opposition’s defence, especially if the defensive squeezes higher up the pitch. Atletico tend to play down the flanks, before rotating possession inside where clusters of players have formed. When Atletico progress higher with the ball, they usually look to work cut-back situations, with their full-backs and wingers combining to get to the byline for cut-backs into the penalty area. Finally, in certain scenarios (such as set-pieces), Simeone’s Atletico are the Kings of the ‘Dark Arts’ in football, and will look to engage in them.
In Transition
When Atletico lose the ball, they will immediately work like dogs to win it back to prevent dangerous counter-attacking situations. Should they win back the ball, they will look to counter-attack almost every time to devastating effect. When Oblak has the ball from goal-kicks, he typically passes the ball short to the centre-backs, who will almost always look to pass it to the full-backs on their side to progress play on the flanks. To encourage the centre-backs to opt for that method, I applied the ‘Distribute to Full-Backs’ instruction.
Out of Possession
When Atletico don’t have possession, they’ll look to form a compact mid-block. Within this mid-block, the centre-backs are given licence to step-up onto opposition attackers if they drop deeper. Atletico Madrid rarely ever press within their defensive shape, and this is to maintain a strong, compact mid-block – a mid-block, of which, they look to prevent opposition central progression from within. This will see Atletico Madrid force opposition teams into wide areas – from here, the winger on that side can drop slightly deeper to support their side’s full-back. Finally, as aforementioned, Simeone wants his team to engage in the ‘dark arts’ of football, and this can see Atletico Madrid players become very aggressive in their challenges/duels out-of-possession.
READ ALSO: One Starter Tactic for EVERY 24/25 Premier League Team in Football
Manager 2024
In this system, Oblak hasn’t got too much responsibility to aid ball-progression and simply offers himself as an emergency option in deep build-up. When Atletico don’t have the ball, Oblak is ready to sweep up any balls in-behind, however, he doesn’t tend to engage in many of these sweeping actions. No additional instructions.
In this system, the right-back tends to sit a bit deeper then his full-back partner to help first-phase build-up. When the right-back receives the ball, he will usually do one of two things: kick the ball long into a central area or carry the ball inside to link with the midfielders in the centre. Finally, once Atletico Madrid have progressed the ball, the full-backs will often look to provide their side’s winger with overlapping/underlapping supporting runs, in an attempt to reach the byline for a cut-back situation. Therefore, I felt this role was best suited to replicate this, with the added instructions:
Of the two centre-backs, the right-sided centre-back is usually the more reserved player in-possession and will usually opt for simpler passes. However, if the midfielders and attackers higher up have formed a central cluster, the right centre-back, like the right-back, will launch a lofted pass into that clustered area. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect, with the added instruction:
As mentioned prior, the centre-back partnership in this system usually consists of one safer, simpler player and a more expressive, progressive player. In this system, this is typically the left centre-back. From this position, the centre-back will look to use their vision and ball-playing ability to aid ball-progression from deep. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect. No additional instructions.
As mentioned previously, the right-back in this system will tend to sit deeper than the left-back in order to aid ball retention in the first phase. This deeper positioning of the right-back allows the left-back to move higher to support the left-winger – from this higher positioning, the left-back, like the right-back, will often look to provide the left-winger with supportive underlapping/overlapping runs in an attempt to reach the byline for a cut-back situation. Therefore, I felt this role was ideal, with the added instruction:
In this position, Barrios can usually appear as a single-pivot, as he’ll drop deep to get on the ball, whilst his midfield partner moves forward. In this system, Barrios will look to drop deep to receive and dictate the tempo of the game; His movements can also see the Spaniard move wider to help form situational wide clusters. When Atletico don’t have the ball, Barrios will look to close down central passing options, forcing opponents wide. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect, with the added instructions:
As mentioned above, Barrios will usually appear as a single-pivot in the midfield, and that’s due to De Paul’s movements forward to affect play higher up. As De Paul moves higher, he can look to use his vision and passing ability to find runs in-behind or give the ball to a team-mate and move wider/into the half-space – he can also access these areas through carrying the ball up the pitch. Finally, as with his midfield partner, when Atletico don’t have the ball, De Paul will often look to close down central passing options, forcing play into wide areas. Therefore, I felt this role is perfect, with the added instructions:
Of the two wingers in this system, the right-winger (usually Giuliano Simeone, Diego’s son) is the more attacking, and this can see him hold a slightly higher position than the left-winger. From this position, the right-winger will often roam from his position to help form central clusters and link play with team-mates. Finally, when Atletico Madrid don’t have the ball, the right-winger will hold a higher position than the left-winger. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect, with the added instructions:
As aforementioned, the left-winger in this system is the more conservative positionally and will situationally drop deeper to support the left-back against an opposition winger. However, the left-winger is just as fluid with his movement when Atletico have the ball and will also look to roam to help form central clusters and receive the ball. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect, with the added instructions:
In this position, Griezmann will mainly look to drift from his position and can quite literally be found anywhere on the pitch. When Griezmann receives deep, he can either carry the ball forward or link with team-mates, usually through one-twos. However, like with his strike-partner, Alvarez, Griezmann can also make runs in-behind himself - however, this is seen less often. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect, with the added instructions:
In this position, like with Griezmann, Alvarez can drop deeper to receive whilst his strike-partner holds a higher position. However, this is seen less frequently as Alvarez typically opts to stay higher and sit on the shoulder of the centre-back on his side. Finally, if central clusters have been formed and Alvarez isn’t a part of them, he’ll look to peel off into the left-channel to draw an opposition centre-back away from the centre. Therefore, I felt this role was best suited to replicate these movements, with the added instruction:
In La Liga, we managed to win the league! However, it was not without difficulty, as city-rivals Real Madrid went stride for stride almost all the way and lost out by 4 points. Of the 38 La Liga games, we won an astonishing 33, drew 2 and lost just 3. We were also incredible offensively, will a number of 7-goal wins in a season where we scored a whopping 126 goals, averaging around 3.3 goals scored per game. Unfortunately, our away record cost our defensive record, as we conceded only the third-least goals with 29 goals – 16 of which came in away games and 4 being penalties.
In the Copa Del Rey, we were unfortunately knocked out in the Quarter Final by Real Madrid, who beat us 3-1 at the Bernabeu. This defeat ended our dreams of a terrific treble.
We ended up completing a delightful double by winning the Champions League, as we got revenge in the final against our city-rivals Real Madrid, the side that broke Atletico hearts in the final in both 2014 and 2016; A tenth-minute finish by summer signing Conor Gallagher was enough for a famous 1-0 win for Los Colchoneros! On our way to the final, we beat domestic rivals Barcelona and English outfits Aston Villa and Liverpool after successfully navigating the Group of Death, containing Man City, AC Milan and Brest.
After a disappointing 23/24 campaign, it was imperative that Atletico Madrid backed their long-term manager, Diego Simeone, with thorough investment in the summer window to rebuild his team and re-shape his team’s system. Said thorough investment arrived, and Simeone responded by altering his tactics from the bleak 23/24 season and this combination has seemingly worked a treat, as Atletico Madrid are right in the thick of a title race in La Liga in Simeone’s 14th season at Los Colchoneros. In this article, I have provided my brief analysis of the altered system and have successfully recreated the tactic in Football Manager 2024, before demonstrating the scintillating results the tactic achieved in testing. If you want a taste of this frightening tactic, make sure to download the tactic using the link attached to this article and follow FM Blog and myself on our respective socials (@AshtonGgmu). I hope you have enjoyed this article, and I wish you much success with this tactic on your saves! Thanks for reading!
Player Roles
Sweeper-Keeper – Defend
In this system, Oblak hasn’t got too much responsibility to aid ball-progression and simply offers himself as an emergency option in deep build-up. When Atletico don’t have the ball, Oblak is ready to sweep up any balls in-behind, however, he doesn’t tend to engage in many of these sweeping actions. No additional instructions.
Full-Back – Attack
In this system, the right-back tends to sit a bit deeper then his full-back partner to help first-phase build-up. When the right-back receives the ball, he will usually do one of two things: kick the ball long into a central area or carry the ball inside to link with the midfielders in the centre. Finally, once Atletico Madrid have progressed the ball, the full-backs will often look to provide their side’s winger with overlapping/underlapping supporting runs, in an attempt to reach the byline for a cut-back situation. Therefore, I felt this role was best suited to replicate this, with the added instructions:
Central Defender – Defend
Of the two centre-backs, the right-sided centre-back is usually the more reserved player in-possession and will usually opt for simpler passes. However, if the midfielders and attackers higher up have formed a central cluster, the right centre-back, like the right-back, will launch a lofted pass into that clustered area. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect, with the added instruction:
Ball-Playing Defender – Defend
As mentioned prior, the centre-back partnership in this system usually consists of one safer, simpler player and a more expressive, progressive player. In this system, this is typically the left centre-back. From this position, the centre-back will look to use their vision and ball-playing ability to aid ball-progression from deep. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect. No additional instructions.
Wing-Back – Support
As mentioned previously, the right-back in this system will tend to sit deeper than the left-back in order to aid ball retention in the first phase. This deeper positioning of the right-back allows the left-back to move higher to support the left-winger – from this higher positioning, the left-back, like the right-back, will often look to provide the left-winger with supportive underlapping/overlapping runs in an attempt to reach the byline for a cut-back situation. Therefore, I felt this role was ideal, with the added instruction:
Deep-Lying Playmaker – Defend
In this position, Barrios can usually appear as a single-pivot, as he’ll drop deep to get on the ball, whilst his midfield partner moves forward. In this system, Barrios will look to drop deep to receive and dictate the tempo of the game; His movements can also see the Spaniard move wider to help form situational wide clusters. When Atletico don’t have the ball, Barrios will look to close down central passing options, forcing opponents wide. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect, with the added instructions:
Segundo Volante – Support
As mentioned above, Barrios will usually appear as a single-pivot in the midfield, and that’s due to De Paul’s movements forward to affect play higher up. As De Paul moves higher, he can look to use his vision and passing ability to find runs in-behind or give the ball to a team-mate and move wider/into the half-space – he can also access these areas through carrying the ball up the pitch. Finally, as with his midfield partner, when Atletico don’t have the ball, De Paul will often look to close down central passing options, forcing play into wide areas. Therefore, I felt this role is perfect, with the added instructions:
Inverted Winger – Attack
Of the two wingers in this system, the right-winger (usually Giuliano Simeone, Diego’s son) is the more attacking, and this can see him hold a slightly higher position than the left-winger. From this position, the right-winger will often roam from his position to help form central clusters and link play with team-mates. Finally, when Atletico Madrid don’t have the ball, the right-winger will hold a higher position than the left-winger. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect, with the added instructions:
Defensive Winger – Support
As aforementioned, the left-winger in this system is the more conservative positionally and will situationally drop deeper to support the left-back against an opposition winger. However, the left-winger is just as fluid with his movement when Atletico have the ball and will also look to roam to help form central clusters and receive the ball. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect, with the added instructions:
False Nine – Support
In this position, Griezmann will mainly look to drift from his position and can quite literally be found anywhere on the pitch. When Griezmann receives deep, he can either carry the ball forward or link with team-mates, usually through one-twos. However, like with his strike-partner, Alvarez, Griezmann can also make runs in-behind himself - however, this is seen less often. Therefore, I felt this role was perfect, with the added instructions:
Complete Forward – Attack
In this position, like with Griezmann, Alvarez can drop deeper to receive whilst his strike-partner holds a higher position. However, this is seen less frequently as Alvarez typically opts to stay higher and sit on the shoulder of the centre-back on his side. Finally, if central clusters have been formed and Alvarez isn’t a part of them, he’ll look to peel off into the left-channel to draw an opposition centre-back away from the centre. Therefore, I felt this role was best suited to replicate these movements, with the added instruction:
Results
La Liga
In La Liga, we managed to win the league! However, it was not without difficulty, as city-rivals Real Madrid went stride for stride almost all the way and lost out by 4 points. Of the 38 La Liga games, we won an astonishing 33, drew 2 and lost just 3. We were also incredible offensively, will a number of 7-goal wins in a season where we scored a whopping 126 goals, averaging around 3.3 goals scored per game. Unfortunately, our away record cost our defensive record, as we conceded only the third-least goals with 29 goals – 16 of which came in away games and 4 being penalties.
Domestic Cup/s
In the Copa Del Rey, we were unfortunately knocked out in the Quarter Final by Real Madrid, who beat us 3-1 at the Bernabeu. This defeat ended our dreams of a terrific treble.
UEFA Champions League
We ended up completing a delightful double by winning the Champions League, as we got revenge in the final against our city-rivals Real Madrid, the side that broke Atletico hearts in the final in both 2014 and 2016; A tenth-minute finish by summer signing Conor Gallagher was enough for a famous 1-0 win for Los Colchoneros! On our way to the final, we beat domestic rivals Barcelona and English outfits Aston Villa and Liverpool after successfully navigating the Group of Death, containing Man City, AC Milan and Brest.
Conclusion
After a disappointing 23/24 campaign, it was imperative that Atletico Madrid backed their long-term manager, Diego Simeone, with thorough investment in the summer window to rebuild his team and re-shape his team’s system. Said thorough investment arrived, and Simeone responded by altering his tactics from the bleak 23/24 season and this combination has seemingly worked a treat, as Atletico Madrid are right in the thick of a title race in La Liga in Simeone’s 14th season at Los Colchoneros. In this article, I have provided my brief analysis of the altered system and have successfully recreated the tactic in Football Manager 2024, before demonstrating the scintillating results the tactic achieved in testing. If you want a taste of this frightening tactic, make sure to download the tactic using the link attached to this article and follow FM Blog and myself on our respective socials (@AshtonGgmu). I hope you have enjoyed this article, and I wish you much success with this tactic on your saves! Thanks for reading!
