“‘How are things at Atletico Madrid at the moment?,’ The Athletic asked a former club employee last week. ‘Bad. Bad. Really bad,’ was the reply, delivered with a grimace. ‘Not just the results, but the play, the feelings. It’s not like before.’ That same downbeat and anxious tone was a feature of many conversations with over a dozen sources close to Atletico last week, each requesting anonymity to protect their positions. …”
The Athletic