7 of Atlético Madrid’s Best Big Game Players
The La Liga era has showcased some of the finest footballers ever to grace the game, and Atlético Madrid have done their fair share of contributing over the years.
You could create a starting XI with the amount of quality attacking players Los Colchoneros have conjured up over the years - though admittedly that team wouldn't be very good at defending.
One thing for sure is that Atlético's attack is never forlorn - Forlan, perhaps? Never mind - at the first hurdle.
Season after season they find their talisman, the club playing host to some of the deadliest forwards in the world. Add in some world-class midfielders and a few more technically gifted defenders and you get a club that has won a total of ten La Liga titles.
Here are a few of those players who thrived on the big occasion.
Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero is a household name who, contrary to popular belief and Martin Tyler in particular, only has one ‘o’ in his surname. The Argentine striker signed with Atléti at 18, playing 175 times in La Liga and netting an impressive 74 times.
Admittedly, Aguero wasn’t the same player he is today while featuring at Atlético. It took moving to Manchester City for him to establish himself as one of the world's greatest forwards.
The striker rose up when Fernando Torres departed for Liverpool and helped his team win the Europa League in 2010, showing he had the big game mentality and displaying glimpses of what was to come.
Most Clutch Moment: In the 2009/10 Europa League final he provided two assists for strike partner Diego Forlan. He may not have scored on that night, but he did help Atlético win their first ever Europa League title.
Gabi
Over the years Gabi was the glue for Atlético. Manager Diego Simeone called upon him many times and the Spaniard usually had the right answer.
It wasn’t always like this for Gabi, who moved from Atlético in 2007 for Real Zaragoza. Four years later and he found himself back at his old digs, with his ability on the ball always crucial to how Atlético played their football.
Gabi was an excellent captain during his time in Madrid, and he will always have eternal respect from their fans, players and coaches.
Most Clutch Moment: Winning La Liga in 2014 was a big moment for Atlético and their fans. It was an even bigger moment for captain Gabi, who assisted the league-winning goal in a 1-1 draw against Barcelona.
Diego Godin
The linchpin for Atletico's success, Godin has made a name for himself as one of the best centre backs in the world. He is the epitome of the word 'defender' and was so important to Atlético, organising his back four to army standards and making sure everything was tight and compact.
Godin showed the true grit of defending and displayed just how effective it was for Atlético over the last decade. If his defending ability wasn’t enough, he provided a goal threat in almost any set-piece situation.
Godin for Atlético was an icon, and he lived for the big moments.
Biggest Clutch Moment: Scoring the goal that won Atlético the title in the 2013/14 season was a massive moment for him and the club.
Juanfran
The name's fun to say and he was even better to watch. Juan Francisco Torres Belén, better known as Juanfran, became one of the best right backs ever for Atlético.
He was favoured by Simeone, achieved plenty during his time at the club, and had a special relationship with the fans.
The Spanish defender played 355 games during his eight years at Atlético. Juanfran was a man for the big occasion and he often played better under pressure.
Biggest Clutch Moment: Becoming the hero in a penalty shootout is hard. It’s even harder to do it in a Champions League knockout game, but Juanfran managed it against PSV in 2016, scoring the winning penalty in an 8-7 shootout to send Atlético into the last eight.
Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres had an illustrious career and it all started with his boyhood club Atlético. Torres was relied on from an early age and more often than not he provided, especially during his first spell at the club when he scored 83 times and helped his side gain promotion back to La Liga in 2002.
The relationship with the club and Torres felt like an unbreakable bond, but in 2007 Liverpool came calling and El Nino departed. In 2015, Torres came back to Atlético for a second spell and continued the love affair with his boyhood club.
Biggest Clutch Moment: Helping Atlético gain promotion back to La Liga in 2002 put Torres’ name on the map, showcasing him as a prolific goalscoring machine.
Diego Costa
The villain of the tale, Costa shows ruthless aggression whenever he steps onto a football pitch. Costa isn’t a player for the big moments: he is the big moment, so to speak.
During his first stint at the club he scored 64 goals in 135 games and showed defenders why he is a striker not to be messed with. He will kick, stamp, and punch his way to victory, and that's exactly why Atlético fans love him.
He is the man for the big occasion, sometimes scoring a winner and other times getting himself sent off. It all depends on what Costa shows up on the day.
Biggest Clutch Moment: Scoring four goals and getting sent off in the same game sums up Costa pretty succinctly. This happened when Atlético played Real Madrid in the International Champions Cup friendly in 2019. Los Colchoneros won the game 7-3, but it will always be remembered for the one and only Diego Costa.
Antoine Griezmann
Griezmann is a special type of player, with his frightening pace and skills capable of ripping through teams in a matter of seconds.
Atlético signed him from Real Sociedad for €30m and he used Atlético as his platform on the global stage. The Frenchman was a joy to watch for Atleti and had some of his best moments in an Atlético shirt.
Griezmann scored 133 times for Los Rojiblancos and played 257 games before moving to Barcelona in 2019.
He is Atlético's fifth-highest scorer in the club's history and always had that special something while playing in an Atlético shirt.
Big Clutch Moment: Winning the Europa League is a special moment for a club, and scoring in the final is a moment that a player will never forget. Griezmann netted twice as Atlético beat Marseille in 2018.