On May 11, in a striking focus match of the 35th round of La Liga, Atletico Madrid, at home in the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, swept the powerful Real Sociedad with a huge score of 4-0. With this big win, they locked in the Champions League next season three rounds in advance. This also marks that Atletico Madrid has achieved the achievement of participating in the Champions League for the 13th consecutive season, continuing the solid pace of the "Simeone era".

Since the 2011-12 season, Atletico Madrid has qualified for the Champions League for the first time with its outstanding league performance. Since then, they have never missed this highest level club competition in Europe. In the past 13 years, the team has not only entered the Champions League quarterfinals 7 times, but also reached the finals twice in 2014 and 2016. Although it is a pity that they failed to win the championship, the resilience of "Iron Blood Atletico Madrid" has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Winning the Europa League in 2018 is the best reward for their adherence to the concept.

This season has not been smooth for Atletico Madrid. In the early stages of the season, frequent injuries to the team became the biggest concern. Defender Savic and striker Morata missed 32 games due to injuries, causing the team to slip to seventh in the standings. However, Simeone remained calm and decisively adjusted the tactical system, changing from the original 4-4-2 to a more dynamic 4-3-3, successfully activating the potential of young players.

Among them, the 22-year-old central defender Vallejo has quickly grown into a defensive backbone, averaging 2.1 successful interceptions per game and performing steadily; the 19-year-old midfielder Almada has made a breakthrough in his career and scored his first La Liga goal; the veteran goalkeeper Oblak has regained his form and set a personal record of 9 clean sheets. Driven by this "new and old combination" power, Atletico Madrid has achieved 9 wins, 4 draws and 1 loss in 14 league games since February, sprinting from the edge of the European war to the Champions League qualification zone.

It is worth mentioning that this season La Liga has gained an extra place in the Champions League due to the improvement of its European Cup ranking. With Real Madrid and Villarreal expected to win the European Cup respectively, Atletico Madrid has been able to advance directly by ranking in the top five, becoming the first La Liga team to benefit from the new rule. This move not only reflects the improvement of La Liga's overall competitiveness, but also adds more "historical significance" to Atletico Madrid's Champions League journey.

Today, Atletico Madrid is back on the Champions League stage, which is not only a reflection of experience and strength, but also a continuation of the team's culture and spirit. Under Simeone's leadership, this team that never gives up easily is still an opponent that any Champions League giant dare not underestimate.