For years Madrid’s top two soccer teams, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, have found themselves in different positions on the success ladder, and this season is no different. Though this year there’s a difference in which of the two is reaping the rewards.

Normally the narrative is that the team that plays its games in Chamartin (Real Madrid) cruises through league play and battles Barcelona for the top spot, sweeping aside their little brother Atlético in the Madrid derby every year. 

However since former Atlético player Diego Simeone took over as manager at the Vicente Calderon, the boys on the Manzanares have reversed their fortunes. Adopting an aggressive, ball hawking, physical style of play, they’ve achieved success unseen by this generation of Atletí fans.

Under Cholo the Rojiblancos have won the UEFA Europa League, Copa del Rey and a La Liga title and even reached the Champions League final before falling to Real Madrid in 2014.

Even in their head-to-head matches in the Madrid Derby, Atlético has managed turned the tables. For over a decade it was all but a foregone conclusion that Real would win or the match would end in a tie, or at least without Atlético going home victorious.

Since the 2013-14 season however Real has not been able to win against their counterparts in the Madrid Derby, ending an 11 season unbeaten streak. And even with a Champions League trophy added to their case, things at the Santiago Bernabeu have been in disarray.

A revolving door of managers and players are the norm at Real, as president Florentino Pérez seems as hungry for titles as he does keeping Real Madrid in the headlines, although it seems one comes at the expense of the other.

And while their neighbors have found stability on the sideline – Simeone has even rejected offers from Europe’s biggest clubs, the latest being Chelsea – Real have found everything but. They replaced Carlo Ancelotti with Rafa Benitez over the summer, a move seen as a step back by players, media and fans alike. They did manage to find some continuity in the locker room, not bringing in any of the “galatico” signings that Pérez has become known for.

Not only that but there are constant rumblings of players at Real growing frustrated with Benitez, while on the Manzanares players would give their first born for their manager. Rumors are circulating in the Madrid media that Cristiano Ronaldo would rather Benitez leave, lobbying for the team to bring back Ancelotti, with whom he had a close relationship, or he could leave himself.

While Atlético is more likely to sell their big players then bring in big names like Real does – they’ve sold top forwards Radamel Falcao, Diego Costa and Arda Turan the last three years for large sums – they’ve somehow managed to find a formula for sustaining success.

That’s because despite the big-ticket departures, they stick to their principles installed by Cholo, and don’t rock the boat. Meanwhile deep-pocketed Real seek to make a splash one way or another, win or lose, rain or shine.

And with Pérez and Co. going from league leaders to five points behind, maybe it’s time Real Madrid look to the little brother for the blueprint for returning to the top.

Photo: Flickr