The new leader of Atletico Madrid's defense
After it seemed he wouldn't be a significant player, the coach changed Marc Pubill's position and created a star. This season he arrives to show he is the leading center-back in Atletico's defense. Do you have something to say too? Send us columns to the address: kick@ynet.co.il
In the summer of 2025, Atletico Madrid purchased Marc Pubill from Almeria for 16 million euros, snatching him from Wolves who were very close to agreeing on his transfer. That same summer, Atletico revolutionized the squad by bringing in nine new players, among whom were more familiar names like Alex Baena and Johnny Cardoso. It wasn't clear where Pubill, who arrived as a right-back, would fit in when the team already had Marcos Llorente and Nahuel Molina. The beginning was not simple: Pubill remained on the bench most of the time, started only once, and played just 428 minutes until December.
But Pubill continued to believe and train hard. He stated: "Since I arrived here, I don't want to leave. I want to stay here for life, and I hope I finish my career here as captain." At the beginning of November, Robin Le Normand, a starting center-back, was injured in a Champions League match against Union Saint-Gilloise and was sidelined for a month. Consequently, Simeone focused on training with Pubill for the center-back role, and after good progress, he began receiving the credit he was waiting for.
As a right-back, Pubill was not the modern player who fits exactly into that position for Simeone. He is fast but lacks sufficient ball control and does not threaten the goal much. Pubill is considered more of an old-school defender, dealing almost exclusively with defense. His position change turned out to be a stroke of genius by Simeone. Already in his first two months as a center-back, he won the Atletico Player of the Month award twice.
Pubill has all the qualities to be an excellent center-back: he is tall (1.90 m), fast, athletic, physical, fights for every ball, has good positioning, is an excellent tackler (65% success rate), and has a tremendous aerial game (71% success rate in aerial duels). Where can he improve? He is sometimes too aggressive, which leads to yellow cards.
In the following months, Pubill reached the Spanish Cup final with Atletico against Real Sociedad, which ended in a painful loss on penalties. His tears after the final whistle showed how much he cares about the club. After his strong performance, he was called up to the Spain national team for the World Cup, where he played in the 3-0 victory over Austria in the Round of 32 and lifted the trophy.
In recent years, Atletico's defense has looked unstable. This season, alongside significant defensive signings like Alex Grimaldo and Cristian Romero, he can prove his place in the club and return the defense to its former strength.
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