Diego Godín Recalls Atlético Dressing-Room Pranks on Giuliano Simeone

Giuliano Simeone’s emergence as an Atlético Madrid regular has been shaped by a hard-edged upbringing around the club’s dressing room, where senior players regularly subjected Diego Simeone’s son to practical jokes. Diego Godín, the former Uruguay captain and Atlético centre-back, has recalled how those experiences tested the young forward long before he became a senior Argentina international.

Godín recalls Atlético dressing-room initiation

Speaking about Giuliano Simeone’s development, Godín said the 23-year-old was routinely teased when he visited his father’s teams as a child. The former defender said the boy would often be left crying by the treatment, but repeatedly returned to the group.

Godín described a particularly chaotic atmosphere involving Diego Costa, who would throw Giuliano into the jacuzzi or place him in the ice bath. He recalled the youngster complaining to his father that the players had hit him, only for Diego Simeone, known as El Cholo, to tell him that he enjoyed being involved.

“We made Giuliano Simeone cry in the dressing room, and now he is a man,” Godín said. He characterised the young player’s response as fearless, saying he kept coming back despite the rough treatment.

From academy exit to first-team role

The resilience Godín identified has been evident in Giuliano’s route into Atlético’s senior side. After leaving River Plate’s academy in 2019, he scored 24 goals for Atlético’s reserve team before continuing his progress through a difficult loan spell at Deportivo Alavés, where he suffered a broken leg.

• Giuliano Simeone departed River Plate’s youth system in 2019.
• He scored 24 times for Atlético Madrid’s reserve side.
• He recovered from a broken leg sustained during his loan at Deportivo Alavés.
• He has since established himself as a starting winger for Atlético and earned senior Argentina recognition.
• His new Atlético contract runs until 2030 and includes a €500 million release clause.
• His rise also brought him a place at the 2026 World Cup.

Godín’s own Atlético career provides the backdrop to his assessment. The Uruguayan won eight trophies with the club, including La Liga and two Europa League titles, during a period in which Diego Simeone built one of Europe’s most combative teams.

Real Madrid derby ahead of international break

Atlético are fourth in La Liga after taking 13 points from their opening six league matches. Their next assignment is a home derby against Real Madrid on Sunday, in what will be their final domestic fixture before the international break.

For Giuliano Simeone, the meeting with the city rivals offers another major test of the competitive edge that was formed, in Godín’s recollection, amid the unforgiving humour of Atlético’s dressing room.