Emotional Return for Gimenez as Atletico Madrid Host Deportivo La Coruna
Gimenez returns Metropolitano Atletico Deportivo: Football rarely writes a script this poetic. Thirteen years after Jose Maria Gimenez first pulled on the red and white shirt, the Uruguayan centre-back walks out at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Saturday night wearing the blue and white of Deportivo La Coruna. The occasion carries every ingredient of a LaLiga classic: an emotional homecoming, a fearless loan clause, a title race that is gathering real momentum, and a coach who will never forget what this defender meant to him.
Atletico Madrid host Deportivo La Coruna in LaLiga Matchday 10 on Saturday 24 October 2026, with kick-off at 21:00 CEST (19:00 GMT). The hosts chase a sixth consecutive league victory and sit second in the table with 22 points. The visitors, newly promoted and led in part by a man who knows every blade of grass inside this stadium, arrive desperate to end a five-game winless run. Few storylines in this season have combined sentiment and stakes quite like this one.
Gimenez returns Metropolitano Atletico Deportivo: The Homecoming: A Wall of Red and White Welcomes Him Back
Jose Maria Gimenez expected emotion, but he also understood exactly how it would feel. Ahead of the match, the 31-year-old spoke warmly about the club that shaped him: “I have a tremendous amount of affection for the club and its fans, and they feel the same way about me. I think I tried to repay that affection through effort and hard work. I know they will welcome me warmly.”
There will be applause before kick-off, that much is certain. Once the whistle blows, sentiment will have to wait: Atletico are hunting six straight wins, and Deportivo are fighting to climb away from mid-table drift.
The defender himself has refused to dwell on the reunion. He said he is not thinking about the meeting itself, only about the match.
A 13 Year Atletico Legacy Built on Steel From Danubio Arrival to Captain and Trophy Winner
Gimenez arrived at Atletico Madrid from Danubio in the 2013/14 season as a largely unknown 18-year-old from Uruguay. He made his LaLiga debut against Almeria on 14 September 2013, and from that moment he became part of the furniture in defence under Diego Simeone. Across 13 seasons he played 384 official matches, a figure that places him among the most-capped players of the Simeone era.
His trophy collection tells the story of a golden period. He won two LaLiga titles (2013/14 and 2020/21), one Spanish Super Cup (2014/15), one UEFA Europa League (2017/18) and one UEFA Super Cup (2018).
What defined him was never elegance. It was grit. Blocks, headers, last-ditch tackles and blood and thunder defending, in an era when Atletico built an identity around exactly those qualities.
The Loan Move and the No-Fear Clause That Lets Gimenez Face Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano
Summer brought a genuine surprise. On the final day of the transfer window, 1 September, Gimenez was loaned to Deportivo on the final day of the transfer window, a deal that runs until the end of the 2026/27 season. Newly promoted Deportivo pulled off one of the coups of the window, landing a defender of vast experience to anchor their return to the top flight.
Gimenez had other offers on the table, including from Sevilla and Valencia, but he chose Deportivo. The project, the playing time, the chance to lead a young side back in LaLiga: everything appealed. Since arriving he has made six appearances, quickly becoming a reference point in the Galician defence.
Before leaving, he made one demand: no fear clause. The clause that prevents loanees from facing their parent club was never part of his thinking. He wanted the right to play tonight, and Atletico agreed.
Simeone on His Former Captain and the Rare Public Display of Warmth Before the Metropolitano Return
Few people know Gimenez better than Diego Simeone. The Argentine coach handed him his debut, trusted him through 13 campaigns, and built entire defensive systems around him. Asked about the reunion, Simeone delivered one of the most emotional lines of his tenure: “I cannot separate him from the opponent we face tomorrow, the person and the man who helped me, who supported me and kept me steady in the dressing room.”
It was a rare public display of warmth from a coach famous for his intensity. Simeone acknowledged that Gimenez was more than a defender to him: he was support, loyalty, and steadiness across more than a decade.
The Match With a Sixth Straight Win on the Line for Second Place Atletico Madrid Against Deportivo
Beyond the romance, this is a massive game for the title race. Atletico sit second on 22 points, chasing leaders Barcelona, who play El Clasico on Sunday. A sixth consecutive LaLiga victory would keep the pressure on the leaders and underline the credentials of Atletico as genuine challengers. The unbeaten run has been built on defensive discipline and clinical finishing, and the side of Simeone will not want to stumble at home.
Deportivo, by contrast, arrive on 10 to 11 points in the lower reaches of mid-table, around eighth or ninth, without a win in their last five league games. The promoted side started the season with spirit but have struggled to turn performances into results. A clean sheet at the Metropolitano would be a statement, and Gimenez will be desperate to lead one.
Key battles will decide it. The Atletico forwards against a Deportivo defence marshalled by a man who knows every movement of his former teammates. Set pieces could be decisive: Gimenez is a genuine threat from corners and free kicks, and the zonal system of Atletico will be tested by his aerial power. The tempo matters too. Deportivo will likely defend deep and look to frustrate, while Atletico must find a way through without leaving space on the counter.
Key Facts on Gimenez Return to the Metropolitano on Saturday 24 October at 21:00 CEST
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Fixture | Atletico Madrid vs Deportivo La Coruna, LaLiga Matchday 10 |
| Venue | Riyadh Air Metropolitano |
| Kick-off | Saturday 24 October 2026, 21:00 CEST (19:00 GMT) |
| Gimenez at Atletico | 13 seasons, 384 official matches |
| Atletico honours | LaLiga 2013/14 and 2020/21, Spanish Super Cup 2014/15, Europa League 2017/18, UEFA Super Cup 2018 |
| LaLiga debut | vs Almeria, 14 September 2013 |
| Deportivo loan | Joined 1 September 2026 until end of 2026/27, no fear clause |
| Appearances for Deportivo | Six so far |
| Atletico league form | Second, 22 points, seeking sixth straight win |
| Deportivo league form | Mid-table, 10-11 points, five games without a win |
| Atletico absentees | Cuti Romero (adductor, out), Johnny Cardoso (illness, out), Sorloth and Barrios (doubtful) |
Conclusion on Thirteen Years of Service and a Sixth Straight Win Chase for Atletico Madrid
Tonight is about more than three points. It is about thirteen years of service, about a defender who gave everything for the red and white and now returns to test it. Gimenez insisted on facing Atletico, and he will get his wish at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in front of fans who still adore him.
Atletico, though, are chasing a sixth straight LaLiga win and refuse to let sentiment interfere with a title race. The words of Simeone showed how much the night means to him, but his team selection will show how much the points mean. Deportivo arrive as underdogs, but with Gimenez leading the defence and nothing to lose, they are dangerous underdogs.
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