OFFICIAL: Diego Simeone agrees Atlético contract extension

Atlético Madrid announced Tuesday morning that manager Diego Simeone has renewed his contract until June 30, 2020.

The announcement brings to an end any concerns surrounding Simeone’s immediate future at Atlético. And the club teased it pretty well, tweeting a 30-second clip of the Argentine telling the Vicente Calderón faithful at the end of last season that he planned to stay.

Simeone originally agreed a renewal to 2020 back in spring 2015. But following the crushing 2016 Champions League final loss to Real Madrid, Cholo and his sister/agent Natalia had that contract reduced to 2018 — meaning he would have been free to leave at the end of the current campaign.

But the 47-year-old is apparently satisfied with the club’s direction (despite a frustrating and controversy-tinged summer) and believes strongly in its future. The renewal also may be a further sign that the Argentine’s #1 transfer target, Diego Costa, is finally set to return to the club. The Spain striker has been left out of Chelsea’s Champions League squad, which would leave him free to play for Atlético in that competition from January 2018 should he complete a move.

Simeone has taken another step toward becoming Atlético’s Sir Alex Ferguson, as his new deal is set to take him through nine seasons as coach — unheard of in the modern era. He’s presided over an unprecedented era of success for the club, with five titles in six-plus seasons at the helm — leaving him one shy of tying the club record held by the late Luis Aragonés.

Ole, ole, ole, Cholo Simeone. What a man.