Simeone, Pep, Carrick - why does football chew up its managers so quickly? We break down coaching burnout, patience, and whether modern football still allows legends to last.
This week on A Semi-Informed Football Podcast, Marko welcomes Mark and Mateo back from the international break to talk about the state of modern coaching, sparked by fresh rumours around Diego Simeone and his future at Atlético Madrid.
After more than a decade in charge, Simeone has turned Atlético from a financial underdog into a European heavyweight ... yet even he isn’t immune to criticism, burnout, or whispers of retirement. So what does longevity actually buy you in today’s game?
The guys also debate:
Whether football still allows managers to fail and evolve
Simeone’s eye-watering salary compared to other elite coaches
Pep Guardiola and the feeling that an entire era may be ending
The Premier League’s obsession with instant success, using Michael Carrick’s short but explosive run as caretaker
Why some coaches build cultures, while others just survive cycles
It’s part tribute, part therapy session, and part crisis for managers everywhere...
Marko: Right. Let's get this one going first. Welcome back to the Semi-Informed Football Podcast where players rotate, owners panic, but managers age ten years in a season. Something we were just talking about just before we turned on the mic.
Marko: I am going to welcome back Mark and Mateo after a little bit of an international break. Right, guys?
Mark: Yeah, it's been a couple of months, but we're back.
Mateo: Exactly. Not too much energy after AFCON, but we are here.
Marko: Yeah, for sure. So again, you guys were off for a little bit. And Simeone — when he retires, or has he? It was a pretty interesting notification after our Champions League last week. All the games on one day, very exciting. I recommend anyone watch Benfica vs Real Madrid — that ending was phenomenal.
Marko: This one’s for the record books. What do you think people will be talking about for years?
Mark: It’s not just the goal — Benfica were up 3–2 but needed a fourth to advance.
Marko: Red cards, chaos, Madrid luck — but that’s not the point of this podcast. Today we’re talking coaching, specifically Diego Simeone, after Atlético lost 2–1 and rumors surfaced he might step away at season’s end.
Marko: Since December 2011, Simeone has coached over 770 matches. He’s Atlético’s longest-serving and most successful manager: two La Liga titles, two Europa Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, a Copa del Rey, and two Champions League finals.
Marko: In this era of short-term managers, that’s unbelievable. Mateo, how do you contextualize that in La Liga?
Mateo: He took Atlético from a mid-table team to a consistent top-three side. Champions League finals, league titles — he multiplied their stature tenfold. He’s a cult hero.
Marko: Financially dwarfed by Real and Barça, yet always competing. I saw a list — Simeone is reportedly the highest-paid manager in football at $33.5 million, ahead of Pep Guardiola.
Mateo: It is insane.
Mark: He didn’t start there. That salary reflects 14 seasons of culture-building. Nearly 800 games, 60% win rate, and he disrupted the Messi-Ronaldo era.
Marko: Atlético became an ideology — brutal, emotional, relentless. Yet people still criticize his style after one bad run.
Marko: Burnout gets labeled as stagnation. Mark, as a Liverpool fan, you saw this with Klopp.
Mark: The intensity drains you. Klopp, Guardiola — that level of focus is exhausting. Fourteen years is a long time.
Marko: Simeone is contracted until 2027. Mateo, do we still allow managers to fail and evolve?
Mateo: Depends on club size and expectations. At Simeone’s level, failure isn’t really an option anymore.
Mark: It’s not always failure — it’s parity. Simeone built teams without galácticos. Workhorses like Koke and Correa embodied his identity.
Marko: Nobody wants to play Atlético in Europe. Total team effort.
Marko: Let’s shift to the Premier League. Michael Carrick — three straight wins as caretaker.
Mark: Against City, Arsenal, Fulham. Huge results.
Marko: Instant praise, caretaker hype, maybe even blocking bigger names.
Marko: Then Pep Guardiola — another long reign, but maybe nearing the end.
Mark: I think Pep leaves soon. Klopp left, Pep stayed, but the squad changed. Those City teams were legendary.
Mateo: Or Pep made them legends. Generational shift matters.
Mateo: If Pep leaves, it’s an end of an era.
Marko: What’s next for Pep?
Mateo: National teams. World Cup ambition. Spain, Brazil, Argentina.
Mark: Pep wants a World Cup.
Mateo: Would that make him the greatest ever?
Mark: No. Ancelotti still is.
Marko: Even Ancelotti got dismissed — proof of short memories.
Marko: Back to Simeone — Argentina national team? Romantic chaos?
Mateo: Absolute chaos. As a neutral, I’d love it.
Marko: Predictions. Mark?
Mark: He leaves at the end of the season.
Marko: Mateo?
Mateo: He stays, rebuilds, two or three more years.
Marko: I say one more year — $33.5 million reasons why.
Marko: Thanks for listening. Football keeps changing managers, but keeps asking for miracles.
Marko: We’re keeping you—
Mark: Semi-Informed.