After years of constant requests, complaints, claims and protests by its fans, Atlético de Madrid announced in mid-July 2023, after an internal vote among its partners, that the traditional crest of the mattress team would return starting with the season. 2024/2025 and its return would become effective on July 1 of this year 2024.
Nunca dejes de creer. pic.twitter.com/wiv9ut6kUQ
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) May 27, 2024
With an emotional video in which you can see a nun religiously asking day after day for the return of the previous shield, Atleti has once again waved its traditional shield at the Cívitas Metropolitano and today in Sambafoot we bring a list of the best Brazilians who have worn this shield.
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Pure nostalgia: The Brazilians who have defended the traditional Atlético de Madrid shield
Atlético de Madrid used what was its new shield since the 2017/2018 season, so only players who have played for the club since before the 2016/2017 season will appear in this list, this being the last one with the traditional shield before the change that will take effect from the summer of 2024.
However, this is not a ranking with the best Brazilian footballers in the history of Atléti, but rather a compilation with some of the most representative legends who used this mythical shield.
Filipe Luis
Of course, one of the most outstanding Brazilian footballers in the history of Atlético de Madrid is the full-back Filipe Luís. With the colchoneros, Filipe played 333 games, winning quite important titles. A LaLiga championship, four European Super Cups and two Europa Leagues stand out in his brilliant record in the Atletico team.
🔴⚪🔴😊¡#GraciasFilipe! 🏧
➕📸➡ https://t.co/tvgiASlEjS#AúpaAtleti pic.twitter.com/QtdfK49FxR— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) July 21, 2019
Filipe defended the colors of Atleti in two stages, between 2010 and 2014 and between 2015 and 2019.
Miranda
The legendary João Miranda de Souza Filho could not be missing from this list. The central defender joined Atleti in 2011 and left the club in 2016 to sign for Inter Milan. The center back played a total of 178 games with the Colchonero team, winning five titles at this stage.
🇧🇷 João @miranda023 ha anunciado su retirada de los terrenos de juego.
Disputó 1️⃣7️⃣8️⃣ partidos con la rojiblanca y ganó una Liga, una Europa League, una Copa, una Supercopa de España y una Supercopa de Europa.
¡Enhorabuena por tu exitosa carrera! 👏 pic.twitter.com/bCIfYOmDAV
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) January 11, 2023
Diego Costa
The Lizard Diego Costa is, yes or yes, the most representative Brazilian player of Atlético de Madrid in recent decades. The Spanish-Brazilian had up to three spells at Atleti, initially signing for the Madrid club in 2007, from Braga. He left for Real Valladolid on a free transfer in 2009 and signed again for the colchoneros in 2010.
In 2014, he left the club again to sign for Chelsea for 38 million and was bought back for a whopping 60 million euros in 2018. In 2021, he left the club as a free agent.
🔴⚪️ Diego Costa struck twice when @Atleti beat Milan 4-1 in their last Madrid meeting 🧨#UCL pic.twitter.com/ftlW2nrVXv
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 24, 2021
Costa played 216 games for Atlético, scoring 83 goals and providing 36 assists. He won two Leagues, three Spanish Super Cups, a Europa League and a Copa del Rey in these three stages.
Diego Ribas
A cult footballer who could not be missing is Diego Ribas. Despite having had a very short period at Atlético de Madrid, he is very well remembered in the colchonero team for his quality, leadership and charisma.
Feliz 114 cumpleaños @Atleti. Gracias por todo! pic.twitter.com/UxTveFuzGx
— Diego Ribas (@ribasdiego10) April 26, 2017
Diego arrived at the club in 2011 on loan from Wolfsburg and was signed for 1.5 million euros in January 2014. However, less than six months after signing with the club, he left for Fenerbahce for free.
Diego played 62 games in which he scored eight goals and provided 15 assists, also winning a League title and a Europa League with the Spanish club.
Leivinha and Baltazar
Two Brazilian legends of the club like Leivinha and Baltazar also deserve an honorable mention. Baltazar, with 61 goals and Leivinha, with 43 goals, are Atleti’s second and third all-time Brazilian goalscorer, only behind Diego Costa’s 83 goals.
🇧🇷 Hace una semana, gracias a su tanto frente a la Real Sociedad, @samuellino99 se convirtió en el trigésimo goleador brasileño con la rojiblanca e inscribió su nombre en una lista plagada de jugadores ilustres 🤩
🔗 https://t.co/uWww4VmWUA pic.twitter.com/7kG9JTUxKK
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) October 15, 2023
Baltazar played for the club between 1988 and 1990, while Leivinha was at the club between 1975 and 1979, both wearing the mythical and traditional Atleti crest.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Binge the full series, available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel.
