Simeone’s Favorite and Atlético's Midfield Leader: Why Is Rodrigo De Paul So Important?

The secret behind Atlético’s incredible form this past fall lies not only in the attacking trio’s productivity (Sørloth, Álvarez, and Griezmann have scored 20 goals combined) but also in their superb midfield, led unconditionally by Rodrigo De Paul!

Although the Argentine joined Atlético as a creative playmaker (scoring 9 goals and 11 assists for Udinese in the 2020/21 Serie A season), Diego Simeone quickly redefined his role, transforming him into a dynamic defensive midfielder — a position the club lacked a top-class player for at the time. This reinvention of De Paul has been one of Simeone's most brilliant tactical moves, as RDP has become one of Europe’s best ball-winners in his new role.

This season, Simeone has granted the Argentine more freedom — De Paul now plays with much greater flexibility. He has a green light to join attacks and take long-range shots (averaging nearly three per game). He also ranks in the top 1% of midfielders for passes into the final third. While he remains a key figure in Atlético’s defensive midfield, he now appears in advanced pitch areas more often than in his early seasons in Spain.

Moreover, De Paul is critical to Atlético’s locker room dynamics. He’s the unofficial leader of the club’s “Argentine squad” (consisting of De Paul, Álvarez, Molina, Giuliano Simeone, Correa, and Musso). The coaching staff frequently praises him in interviews, and even the usually reserved Simeone recently admitted that Rodri (as he’s affectionately called back home) is one of his favorite players!

Published by Patrick Jane
25.12.2024