Atletico Madrid are confident Diego Simeone will be leading their team next season but he is thinking over his future, which could be at the club – where he wants to bring in a world class No. 9 – or elsewhere.
Despite the Champions League defeat, the players do not want to lose him and are confident he will stay.
“I have no doubt that Simeone will continue with us,” said Tiago Mendes after the final.
“He has given us everything,” added Antoine Griezmann.
However, El Cholo may have different plans.
He let his guard down in the heat of the moment at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza press room, after being beaten by Real Madrid in the final.
The dejected coach showed his frustration at not being able to take that final step to conquer the cup which the Rojiblancos lack in their trophy room.
“It is time to think and reflect,” he snapped a few minutes after waving goodbye to the title.
“For Atletico, it’s marvellous to play two finals but I am not happy.
“As head of the team I couldn’t make the fans happy who travelled to Milan.”
At the club, they felt he was justifiably angry after the defeat but they are also aware that, reading between the lines, the Argentinean wants more.
He wants a world class striker such as former player Diego Costa of Chelsea, or Edinson Cavani of Paris Saint-Germain, both of whom are at the top of his wish list.
Then, his team could be more ambitious and aspire to conquer everything.
But, the word from Estadio Vicente Calderon is that he is unlikely to get his way.
“Such a player is not necessary,” they’re saying.
The men in charge of the club are aware that the model they employ is working and they do not want to change it.
“It would not be wise,” they argue because they will not be fighting for titles every season.
To them, the important thing is for the Rojiblancos to continue growing, so the team moves forward and functions properly.
If they win trophies, so much the better, but the guidelines to follow are already set in place.
This could impede their coach’s ambition but they have no reason to think he will just up sticks and leave because of it.