Atlético lose analyst to Real Madrid as infamous “non-aggression pact” dissolves

Diego Simeone has lost one of his analysts to Real Madrid, according to Antón Meana on Cadena SER’s Carrusel Deportivo show.

The analyst’s name was not mentioned during the report as he “does not have a public profile,” but the journalist says it is a significant move and that it could be just the beginning of Real and Atlético Madrid personnel changing sides.

“The famous ‘no aggression pact’ between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid has moved away from the field,” Meana told the radio station. “I spoke about how the relationship had broken and the pact no longer exists. We are looking at the academies and the dressing rooms of both Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti to see if there are transfers.

“But there is one movement that, to me, is significant. An Atlético Madrid analyst, from the first team, will go to Real Madrid. We won’t say his name because he is not a public person but on 30th June, he left to go to Atlético’s biggest rival.”

Meana says former Madrid player Álvaro Arbeloa is one of the driving forces behind the collapse of the pact. The ex-defender is coaching in Madrid’s underage set-up this season and wanted to get rid of the pact so the clubs can swap players and take advantage of the rich vein of talent coming through the underage systems.

Full-back Jesús Fortea, a Spanish under-15 international, left Atlético last week in order to “achieve his dream” with all roads pointing to a move to Real Madrid. Atlético had previously signed Marcos Llorente from Real Madrid in 2018, and James Rodríguez was close to swapping white for red-and-white that summer as well. Previously, los Blancos had purchased Theo Hernández for nearly €30 million in 2017, after he had been earmarked as the Rojiblancos’ left-back of the future.

The movement of an analyst might seem insignificant, but it could open up war on an entirely-new front between the capital clubs and historic rivals.