This is the ace up the sleeve of Atlético de Madrid

Talking about the Spanish league in the last 20 years has always had as main figures Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, two clubs whose hegemony is increasingly solid. For its part, the Atlético de Madrid project has sought ways to consolidate itself to regain the prominence that it had lost long ago and relegated them to mid-table positions. It was from then on that without wanting (or perhaps wanting) they achieved the formula for success in Uruguayan lands.

After having lived two seasons in the Second Division, the mattress team returned to the elite of Spanish soccer (2002/2003) with the intention of recovering lost ground. For five years in a row, they wandered between eleventh and seventh position, still without the clarity of a fixed course. It could be said that the turning point came in 2007/2008, a time that coincided with the arrival of Diego Forlán, that lethal striker who over time became a rojiblanca legend.

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Over the years that new face of Atlético began to get stronger. The most outstanding detail of the arrival of a new era of titles was the presence of Uruguayan players in the squad, in addition to the signing of Diego Simeone as technical director, which consolidated the machinery that has been seen to date. In the last 11 years, they have raised ten trophies distributed in the League, the King's Cup, the Europa League, the Spanish Super Cup, and the European Super Cup.

Certainly, the history of Atlético de Madrid has been influenced by South American soccer players, but especially those born in Uruguay. Here we summarize the trajectory and achievements of the five most important of this last time.

Diego Forlan

He arrived for the 2007/2008 season with the star striker poster and a Golden Boot. Forlán's fame was already more than known in Spain and that served to promote Atlético's project, which saw its first fruit in 2009/2010 when they won their first UEFA Europa League. There, the Uruguayan played a fundamental role, scoring five of the team's last six goals that led to the title, including the two in the final.

The 2010 season started in style with the consecration of the European Super Cup after beating Inter Milan. Since then, and despite continuing to contribute with goals and assists, Forlán's performance suffered some ups and downs until his departure in 2011. He defended the rojiblanca shirt during 198 games, scoring 98 goals and assisting 32 opportunities.

Diego Godin

Atlético's board of directors applied the same strategy as Forlán with Godín, as both had come from outstanding seasons at Villarreal. The central defender made his debut in 2010 with the European Super Cup title , this being the first of eight he would achieve. Some time later a new European success would arrive, when they raised the Europa League again (2011/2012) defeating Athletic Club and later Chelsea in the European Super Cup.

By that time Godín was an essential piece in the red-and-white defense along with Brazilian Joao Miranda, a duo that was able to beat Real Madrid in the final of the Copa del Rey (2012/2013). As if that were not enough, the Uruguayan was key in the league title (2013/2014) by scoring the tying goal on the last day against Barcelona. They again beat Madrid, this time in the Spanish Super Cup (2014), and closed their cycle of titles with another Europa League (2017/2018) and European Super Cup (2018).

Cristian Rodriguez

The career of this midfielder has been full of successes and with Atlético he was no exception. In 2012 he landed in Madrid after a more than fruitful stage in Porto. His first two trophies as a rojiblanco were obtained in that same season: the European Super Cup and the Copa del Rey. Despite not being a starter, «Cebolla» Rodríguez contributed his Uruguayan claw entering from the bench.

His playing minutes were decreasing, but that did not prevent him from being part of the league champion squad in 2013/2014, in addition to playing five minutes in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup. This trophy made him the Uruguayan soccer player who had won the most titles internationally. His internship at Atlético ended in early 2015, leaving a total of five goals and three assists in 98 games.

Jose Maria Gimenez

The central defender arrived at Atlético in 2013 with the profile of a promising player at 18 years old, something that he has shown and far surpassed over the years. During that season where they won La Liga, Giménez only participated in two games. In the same way, in the Spanish Super Cup games that they won, he was only present on the bench. However, the best is yet to come.

Their magnificent performance spoke for themselves and since 2015 they became Godín's central couple, winning the Europa League and European Super Cup titles together. In this just finished season he contributed during 21 games so that the rojiblancos finished champions and as the least beaten.

Luis Suarez

Soccer ended up being fair to a soccer player who was giving everything to Barcelona and went out the back door. Although suppositions that his career was in decline at 33, Suárez signed with goals (21) another spectacular year in Spain, playing 32 games this season.

Despite missing several games due to injury, the Uruguayan recovered to be the key player in the last three days. An assist in the victory (2-1) against Real Sociedad, as well as a pair of goals against Osasuna (2-1) and Valladolid (1-2), were more than vital for Atlético to obtain its eleventh league trophy.