Top facts about Diego Simeone, El Cholo

Diego Pablo Simeone Gonzalez, widely known as El Cholo, is considered one of the greatest managers in

history. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Simeone began his professional at Velez Sarsfield; the Argentine international went on to play for Pisa, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Lazio, and Racing Club. The Argentine footballer is mostly remembered for his extraordinary performances in Atletico Madrid, where he helped them win one La Liga title and one Copa del Rey title.

Following the retirement from playing, Diego Simeone tried his hand at management. Before joining Atletico Madrid in 2011, he was manager of Racing Club, Estudiantes, River Plate, San Lorenzo, and Catania. El Cholo has had the greatest managerial success with the Spanish club, winning two La Liga titles, UEFA Europa League on two occasions, one Copa del Rey, two UEFA Super Cups.

The Argentine manager has stayed a decade with Atletico Madrid, becoming the longest-serving manager in La Liga. To know some more interesting top

facts about Diego Simeone

's life, scroll further.

Facts you need to know about Diego Simeone

Let's take a look at the top facts about Diego Simeone. Facts like Diego Simeone birthday, wife, Instagram, which may be fascinating to football lovers.

Diego Simeone age and biography at point

• Full Name:

  Diego Pablo Simeone Gonzalez

• Nickname:

  El Cholo

• Date of Birth:

  28 April 1970

• Age:

  51 years

• Place of Birth:

  Buenos Aires, Argentina

• Nationality:

  Argentine

• Height:

  1.80 m

• Weight:

  70 kg

• Parents:

  Don Carlos Alberto Simeone, Mrs Maria Pablo Simeone

• Wife/Partner:

  Carolina Baldini (m. 1994–2014), Carla Pereyra (m. 2019)

• Children:

  Giovanni Simeone, Giuliano Simeone, Gianluca Simeone, Francesca Simeone, Valentina Simeone

• Occupation:

  Professional Football Manager

• Playing Position:

  Midfielder

• Club(s):

  As a player: Velez Sarsfield, Pisa, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Lazio and Racing Club/ As a manager: Racing Club, Estudiantes, River Plate, San Lorenzo, Catania, and Atletico Madrid

• Jersey/Kit Number:

  14 (at Atletico Madrid)

• Net Worth:

  $130 million

Diego Simeone Childhood

The first part of our article on top facts about Diego Simeone is about his childhood.

Diego Simeone birthday

is on 28 April 1970 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The former footballer was born to his father, Don Carlos Alberto Simeone (salesman), and his mother, Mrs. Maria Pablo Simeone (hairdresser).

His father played amateur football during his youth time. His sister, Natalia Simeone, is a professional football agent, playing leading roles in his brother's financial planning. Both his parents were hardworking, and the legend took their figure.

Simeone says he learned from his parents to work hard. "my parents taught me values, respect, order, everything that has helped me in life. That includes my ruggedness on the pitch. They were very notable." Simeone was a gifted kid, and when he was a child, he was training with his dad. The manager always listens to his father's advice.

Diego Simeone Career Stats

After reviewing

Diego Simeone childhood

, let's take a look at

Diego Simeone career stats

, that is, one of the significant-top facts about Diego Simeone. When

Diego Simeone age

was 14, Victorio Spinetto, his coach, nicknamed the energetic footballer Cholo. "There used to be a Carmelo Simeone at Boca Juniors who they called Cholo but that's not how I got my nickname. It happened when one of my primary school teachers Oscar Nesi called me it and it just suck. In my youthful days, I was physically intimidating and was also a hard tackler," said Diego Simeone. 

The Argentine footballer began his career at Velez Sarsfield, then he joined Pisa, Serie A club, in 1990. Simeone went on to play at Sevilla in the Spanish La Liga, and after two seasons, he moved to Atletico Madrid, where he won one La Liga title and one Copa del Rey title. El Cholo returned to Serie A and kicked the ball in Inter Milan, winning the 1997–98 UEFA Cup. In 1999, Simeone moved to

, where he won one Serie A title, one Coppa Italia title, 2000 Supercoppa Italiana as well as 1999 UEFA Super Cup.

In 2003, he returned to Los Colchoneros, spending two seasons with the Spanish club. He ended his career with Racing Club. At the international level, he played for his country at the 1992 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament in

. Simeone helped his country win Copa Americas, 1992 King Fahd Cup, 1993 Artemio Franchi Trophy, and 1996 Olympic Silver Medal, scoring 11 goals. 

During the 1998 World Cup, David Beckham kicked Simeone, and the English footballer was sent off in retaliation for a foul. Later Simeone said, "I had tackled him, and we both fell to the ground. As I was trying to stand up that was when he kicked me from behind. And I took advantage of that. And I think any person would have taken advantage of that in just the same way. Sometimes you get sent off, sometimes you don't. Unfortunately, for the English team that time they lost a player. Anyway, you take advantage of all the opportunities you find in your life. If you don't take advantage of a chance that comes your way you are lost."

Diego Simeone Managerial Career

After retirement as a player, Simeone tried his hand at management, becoming Racing Club's manager. In 2006 he left the club and was named Estudiantes de La Plata's new coach, helping them win their first league title in 23 years. He went on to manage Estudiantes, River Plate, San Lorenzo, and Catania.

On 23 December 2011, the Argentine manager was appointed as Atletico Madrid head coach, replacing Gregorio Manzano. His first debut as the Atletico Madrid manager was against Manuel Pellegrini's

. In his debut season, Simeone guided the Spanish club to the UEFA Europa League title by beating Athletic Bilbao in the final in Bucharest. The Argentine manager has helped Atletico win two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey title, 2014 Supercopa de Espana, two UEFA Europa Leagues, as well as two UEFA Super Cups.

Also, Los Colchoneros has reached the Champions League final twice under Simeone but has not won the title yet. On 8 July 2021, it was announced Simeone's contract was extended until 2024. His father believes that his son will be the national team manager. "He is very comfortable in Madrid. But I think that at some point, a change will come. Italy, England, I don’t know, but it will come. I am with him in waiting a couple more years. As of today, he needs weekly work, the match every Sunday. I think between the ages of 50 and 55 he will go to the national team," said Simeone's father.

Diego Simeone Net worth & Salary

In this section, we will take a look at Diego Simeone salary and net worth, which is one of the fascinating top facts about Diego Simeone. Widely known as El Cholo, Diego Simeone is regarded as one of the best Argentine managers in football history. As of 2021,

Diego Simeone net worth

is estimated at around $130 million.

Diego Simeone salary

as an Atletico Madrid manager is $49.28 million annually.

Diego Simeone Children & Wife

Football fans know about Diego Simeone's managerial skills, but few consider his bio, which is quite interesting. Stay tuned to read more about the

Diego Simeone family

. Carolina Baldini, an Argentine model, was Diego Simeone wife. She was the manager's childhood sweetheart. He met Carolina at the popular nightclub in Argentina when she was 19, and they started dating. Two years later, the couple got married on 22 July 1994. 

In the case of

Diego Simeone children

, you might know that Diego Simeone and Carolina Baldini's marriage was blessed with three children. In 1995, the couple welcomed their first son, Giovanni Simeone, a professional footballer, playing for Hellas Verona. Their second son, Gianluca, was born on 23 July 1998. Gianluca is also a professional footballer who plays for CD Ibiza. Carolina gave birth to his third son, Giuliano, on 18 December 2002. After two decades of being married, Diego and Carolina got a divorce. 

Apparently, it was not difficult for Simeone to find new love again, and after two years of his divorce, he met Carla Pereyra, who is 16-year-old younger than him. Rumors about Diego Simeone and Carla Pereyra's relationship were first reported in 2014. Not so long after their relationship, Carla got pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl, Francesca, on 30 September 2016. The couple has another daughter named Valentina. The lovebirds got married in 2019. Carla Pereyra,

Diego Simeone wife

, is a successful model and a TV show host.

Facts about Diego Simeone you did not know

Diego Simeone nickname

• Diego Simeone nickname is given to him by his fans. He is known as El Cholo.

Diego Simeone tattoo

• The amusing fact about Diego Simeone tattoo is that just like many footballers of his generation, he has yet to have any tattoos on his body.

Diego Simeone Instagram account

El Cholo, like many football managers, is active on Instagram. Diego Simeone Instagram account (

) has around 1.7m followers.

Diego Simeone height

• Diego Simeone height is 180 m, and also his weight is 70 kg.

More facts about Diego Simeone

• The Argentine coach once claimed that he would have studied physical education if not become a footballer. "In secondary school they once asked us what we wanted to be. Someone said a lawyer, one said an accountant, and another said a doctor. When I said ‘footballer’, everybody burst out laughing. If football hadn’t worked out I planned to study Physical Education," said Simeone.

• Fear is probably one of the last words that can be used to describe Diego Simeone. The manager was never far from confrontation as he said he was not afraid of any opponent. Once he said, "There was no player or team in particular. In fact, I feared myself the most because I knew that if I wasn't mentally prepared to give 100 per cent in every game, then I wasn't the same player."

Diego Simeone Quotes

One of the most amusing parts of SportMob's article on top facts about Diego Simeone is a look back at his most controversial quotes.

On Barcelona and Real Madrid

"Madrid and Barcelona play in a different league. This is a boring championship for the rest of the supporters who can only aspire to be third or fourth. We’ll have to wait for a different distribution of television money because now the league is only of two. The difference between us, Madrid and Barcelona? 400 million euros of budget."

On becoming champion

"Of course, becoming champions is something we all want, but I think that the best 'championship' for a manager is to see players like Koke, Lucas Hernandez, Angel Correa - lads who have come up from all the way down in the lower divisions - become professionals of a high standard."

On Lionel Messi

"Messi alone is more dangerous than Real Madrid's attacking trio Ronaldo, Benzema and Bale. Diego (Maradona) has filled us with emotions. But between the cracks, without doubt, Messi is better than Maradona. Messi is the number one. No other player is close to him. Maradona and Messi played in different times and in different positions. Messi is much more a striker, Diego was all over the entire pitch. They are two extraordinary players."

On Diego Costa

"He's an animal, Diego Costa is an animal! Diego Costa always gives us physical and moral strength. He is a very important player for the character he transmits to the team, and his potential as a football player."

On football

"The game's my life and I'm so passionate about it. When you see your life so intertwined with football it can make things very difficult. You might go and watch a film and start imagining footballers running across the screen, you know?"

"Football is like hunting. One second can change it all, but it's not just any second, it's a flash. The prey is there and suddenly then it's not. In an instant it's over - you won't have the chance again. You need to know which one precise second to train for, and to understand that moment."

On his coaching dream

"I was 27 or 28 years old when I really decided I would become a manager. I would go home from training at Lazio, grab a folder and pretend I was taking a training session. You know the way kids imagine things, when they are playing? I would do the same as an adult, playing at being a manager."

On comparing football and boxing

"I relate football with boxing, with a street fight. In both cases there is always one moment, a second, in which someone shows fear in their eyes, in their body. In football it's exactly the same."

Diego Simeone TransferMarket

According to

Diego Simeone transfermarket

, the former Argentine footballer played 523 times for seven clubs (Velez Sarsfield, Pisa, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Lazio, and Racing Club). During his playing time, Simeone scored 81 goals and provided 15 assists for his teammates.

At the international level, Diego Simeone earned 108 caps and scored 11 goals for his country.

Diego Simeone Records & Achievements

Sportmob's article on top facts about Diego Simeone will end with a list of Diego Simeone's individual records and notable achievements. As a player, he won one La Liga title and one Copa del Rey title during his spell at Atletico Madrid. Simeone also won one Serie A title, one Coppa Italia title, 2000 Supercoppa Italiana as well as 1999 UEFA Super Cup with Lazio.

As a manager, he has won two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey title, 2014 Supercopa de Espana, two UEFA Europa Leagues, as well as two UEFA Super Cups with Atletico Madrid.

His notable individual achievements are European Coach of the Season (2011-12), La Liga Manager of the Month (three times), 2014 Trofeo Comunidad Iberoamericana, La Liga Coach of the Year (three times), 2016 IFFHS World's Best Club Coach, Miguel Munoz Trophy (two times), IFFHS Club Coach of the Decade (two times), and 2017 Globe Soccer Master Coach Special Award.

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