Giuliano Simeone: Atlético Madrid's Controversial Player Selection
Diego Simeone walks into another press conference and the same question comes flying back at him: why does Giuliano keep playing?
The answer, at least from the Atlético Madrid coach, is blunt. And short.
“I have nothing to say. Giuliano's actions and work speak for themselves.”
No defence of family ties. No attempt to soothe the noise online. Just a firm line in the sand from a manager who has used his son in every game this season.
Family name, full scrutiny
Giuliano has not slipped quietly into this Atlético side. He has been there from the start.
Three times in La Liga, Simeone has handed him a place in the starting XI. He also trusted him on the European stage, throwing the winger in from the opening whistle on Champions League matchday one against Liverpool.
His only outing from the bench came on the very first weekend, in the 2-0 win over Malaga on August 19. Since then, he has been part of every plan, every line-up, every debate.
Those minutes have carried a cost. Sections of the fanbase have accused Simeone of favouritism, of protecting his son, of blocking other options. The criticism has been loud, especially online. Simeone, though, has refused to bite. He has repeatedly pushed the conversation back to one place: the pitch.
For him, the surname on the shirt is irrelevant. The performance in it is everything.
Individual storm in a wider crisis
The focus on Giuliano has almost become a distraction from the real problem. Atlético are wobbling.
They travel to San Sebastián this weekend on the back of two bruising defeats. First came a 3-0 dismantling by Athletic, a result that stripped away any early-season optimism. Then came the loss at Liverpool, another night when the defensive steel that once defined Simeone’s teams looked worryingly fragile.
Eight goals conceded in five competitive matches tell their own story. This is not the Atlético that used to suffocate games and opponents. Holes have appeared, concentration has dipped, and the back line that once set the standard in Spain now looks uncertain.
In that context, the debate over Giuliano’s role feels almost secondary. The issues run deeper than one selection.
Stretched squad, high stakes in San Sebastián
Now comes Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena, and with it a sharp test of character.
This is the kind of away game that usually suits Simeone’s instincts: hostile atmosphere, high stakes, a chance to grind out a statement result. This time, though, he arrives with a squad that looks thinner than he would like.
Pablo Barrios is out with a muscle injury, removing a valuable option in midfield. Alexander Sorloth remains unavailable in attack, limiting the variety in the final third. Every absence tightens the margin for error, every decision on the teamsheet carries extra weight.
The Rojiblancos do not just need a win in San Sebastián. They need control. They need to look like Atlético again, to close the spaces, to stop the bleeding at the back before an early stumble hardens into a full-blown crisis.
Giuliano will almost certainly be under the microscope once more, every touch judged, every mistake amplified. Simeone, though, has already made his stance clear.
The question now is not whether he will back his son. It is whether this Atlético side can back up his words with the kind of performance that drags their season back on track.
