'Five Red Bulls' - Diego Simeone's crazed pre-match vibes described by former Atletico Madrid star Kieran Trippier

Posted Friday, May 12, 2023 by Goal.com

Kieran Trippier opened up on playing under Diego Simeone, admitting the Atletico Madrid manager is "different" to work with.

Tripper jokes about "different" Simeone
Played under him from 2019 to 2022
Atletico have overperformed under Argentine

WHAT HAPPENED? Trippier, nowadays a Newcastle mainstay, played under the Argentine boss at Atleti for two-and-a-half seasons between 2019 and 2022. He's now detailed Simeone's intense pre-match persona that had players wondering what on earth was going on.

WHAT THEY SAID: "Yeah he's different, certainly," Trippier told the High Performance Podcast when asked to compare Simeone with another former boss in Mauricio Pochettino. "The way you see him on the touchline, that's just how he is. Before every game, you’ll see him storming up and down the corridor, just looking down at the floor for about 40 minutes. I don’t know what he’s thinking about. It’s like he’s had about five Red Bulls before a game, he just can’t sit still.

"If you're not going to run for him, you don't play – simple as that. He's incredible as a man manager."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Simeone has made his name as a master of motivation, ensuring Atleti have punched above their weight in La Liga and the Champions League ever since he took charge in December 2011. Under his stewardship they've reached the final of the European competition twice, in 2014 and 2016, and won two La Liga titles.

WHAT NEXT? Trippier's Newcastle take on Leeds this weekend in the Premier League, looking to wrap up Champions League qualification, while Simeone and Atleti head to Elche in La Liga on Sunday.