Diego Simeone applauded after spinning Pep Guardiola and Barcelona star Nutmeg in Atletico Madrid game – now he’s visiting him and Man City in the Champions League

Diego Simeone and Pep Guardiola will be in opposing Champions League dugouts on Tuesday as Atletico Madrid and Man City face off at the Etihad.

The managers are no strangers, having faced each other many times in their coaching careers.

AFP

Simeone was appointed by Atletico in 2011, and there was a brief crossover in Spain before Guardiola left his post at Barcelona in 2012 before joining Bayern in 2013.

Simeone then robbed Guardiola of a potential hat-trick in his final season at Bayern Munich as he knocked them out of the Champions League semi-final in 2016.

They were also opponents on their playing days at Atletico and Barcelona.

Their playing styles couldn’t be more different though. Guardiola was agile and elegant at the heart of Barcelona’s midfield.

Meanwhile, Simeone once described his playing style as that of a man “holding a knife between my teeth”.

The Argentine was part of the Atletico team that won a La Liga and Copa del Rey double in the 1995/96 season.

He scored 12 goals from midfield this campaign, while beating Barca 1-0 in the final of this cup competition.

It was in this game that Simeone produced a moment of brilliance, mixed with a trademark to go with it.

He managed to hit Jose Mari Bakero, before spinning Guardiola and then putting the ball back in Bakero’s legs.

So impressed with his own genius, Simeone stopped to applaud himself several times before kicking the ball across the pitch.

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