Diego Simeone is impressed by his son Giuliano Simeone’s performances — but the Atlético Madrid coach made it clear that his son won’t be getting any special treatment.
When the father is the coach and the son is a player, questions often arise. But Giuliano has silenced the skeptics with his performances, letting his game do all the talking. Even his father, Diego Simeone, admits he didn’t expect this level from him.
Giuliano put in another stellar display on Monday, scoring a stunning goal in Atlético’s 4-2 comeback win over Real Valladolid in La Liga.
The home side initially went behind to a penalty in the 21st minute. Just four minutes later, Julián Álvarez equalized from the spot. Moments after that, Giuliano gave Atlético the lead — controlling a cross brilliantly on the left edge of the box, cutting past a defender, and firing a rocket into the near post. The keeper had no chance.
Valladolid pulled level in the second half, but a second penalty from Álvarez in the 71st minute put Atlético back ahead. Alexander Sørloth sealed the win with a goal in the 79th minute.
After a dramatic late win against Sevilla in the previous match, this comeback was another emotional moment for coach Simeone — especially with his son on the scoresheet.
“It was like what happened against Sevilla — coming from behind again. We needed a strong response after going down. The penalty helped, then Giuliano scored right after… Later, we slowed down a bit, but eventually, things went the way we wanted.”
Giuliano’s rise this season has been remarkable. Since joining Atlético’s youth setup in 2019, he worked his way through the B team, made his senior debut in 2022, and had loan spells at two clubs. Previously, he was mainly known as Simeone’s son. But this season, he’s made a name for himself — even earning a call-up to Argentina’s national team at just 22.
His breakout form has even surprised his father.
“To be honest, I didn’t expect this from him — I didn’t think he’d contribute this much. That’s why I included him in the squad like any other regular player.”
“He’s truly having an incredible season, and I hope he can keep it going. No one’s going to hand him anything — and he knows that better than anyone, especially me.”
Another standout for Atlético this season has been Julián Álvarez. Since joining from Manchester City, the Argentine forward has been on fire. With two goals in this match, he now has 26 across all competitions.
Simeone is happy with him too — but expects even more.
“Julián is having a fantastic season. He’s exactly the kind of player we needed, especially in moments like today and against Sevilla.”
“He’s scored 14 league goals, but we keep telling him — Lewandowski has scored even more (25 in the league).”
