Simeone Faces Criticism Over Giuliano as Atletico Struggles

Diego Simeone walked into the press room this week knowing exactly what was coming. The questions were not about tactics, not about the defensive slump, not even about Liverpool. They were about Giuliano.

The 21-year-old has played in every game for Atletico this season, starting three times in La Liga and featuring from the off in the Champions League opener against Liverpool. His only appearance from the bench came on the very first weekend, a 2-0 win over Malaga on August 19.

That run has lit up the fanbase for all the wrong reasons. Accusations of favouritism. Claims that Simeone is indulging his son. Every team sheet has become a fresh argument online.

Simeone, though, refused to pour any fuel on it.

Asked directly about the criticism, the Argentine cut the discussion short, batting away the noise and returning to his core message: what happens on the pitch is all that matters. He would not bite, would not justify, would not debate.

“I have nothing to say. Giuliano's actions and work speak for themselves,” he said, brushing aside the storm as Atletico prepare for Sunday’s trip to San Sebastian.

While the spotlight has followed Giuliano, the real problems sit elsewhere. Atletico arrive at the Reale Arena on the back of two bruising defeats, taken apart 3-0 by Athletic before being beaten at Liverpool. The numbers are stark: eight goals conceded in their first five competitive matches. For a club that built its modern identity on defensive steel, that cuts deep.

The back line looks fragile, the structure uncertain, the aura dented. Every cross feels dangerous, every transition a threat. The questions about Giuliano’s minutes may dominate social media, but inside the club the concern is far more basic: they are conceding too much.

Next Match: Real Sociedad Away

Now comes Real Sociedad away. A hostile stadium, a sharp, technical side, and an Atletico team that suddenly looks short of certainty and short of bodies.

Pablo Barrios is out with a muscle injury, robbing Simeone of energy and control in midfield. Alexander Sorloth remains unavailable in attack, limiting options up front at a time when the coach might like to rotate or change shape. The squad feels stretched just as the schedule tightens and the pressure spikes.

This is where the early-season wobble either settles or spirals.

An away win in San Sebastian would not fix everything, but it would steady the ground under Simeone’s feet. It would restore some defensive authority, quieten the noise around selection, and halt any creeping sense that the gap to the top is already beginning to open.

Atletico have lived through crises before under Simeone and found a way to turn them into fuel. The question now is simple: can they do it again, with his son in the eye of the storm and a leaky defence threatening to drag them into trouble before the season has even begun to take shape?