“Memphis entered the history of Atletico,” commented Madridian AS. A saving goal at the last minute, just a few minutes after entering the game, turned him into the new hero of the red and whites. The performance of the Dutchman in the last moments and in extra time of the game, sealed by an indefensible shot from the penalty spot – the announcement of a series of penalties that no one would have believed in advance, this time won the Metropolitano.Memphis Depay’s journey so far in Spain, first at Barcelona and then at Atlético, has been full of headlines containing words such as ‘Drama’, ‘Suffering’ or ‘Bad Luck’. Incessant muscle injuries since signing for the Colchoneros have turned him into an unreliable, “glass-legs” player, but these have often been interspersed with efficiency and attractiveness that infuriates spectators, as they appear only once in a while.Real Madrid storm through Osasuna in a title-winning styleDepay is aware that he can do better, but he is not angry. He left his anger in his early years, for his Ghanaian father who abandoned him when he was four, and the house his Dutch mother brought him to, as a dark-skinned Cinderella who was called monkey by evil stepsisters and beaten and had his ears stretched out with pliers. At Phillip Cocu’s PSV, they saw great potential in him and assigned him a life coach, to free him from trauma and aggressiveness, which again turned him into a regular visitor to parties, a lover of all kinds of luxury and a constant topic of tabloids. This condemned him early to the bench at Manchester United who bought him from PSV for 35,000,000 euros and in return only asked him to focus on football.Still, Memphis’ footballing abilities were not in question. Before leaving for England, he was, at only 20 years old, the best scorer of the Dutch Eredivisie, and after a failure in Manchester, he got a new opportunity in Olympique de Lyon, where he spent almost five seasons, helping the team fight for the title and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.He played for the Netherlands’s national team from the youngest categories, part of the team that won bronze at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014. Ronald Koeman knew him very well and brought him to Barcelona. Memphis arrived with the illusion that he would play with Messi, but just a few days later the wheel of fortune turned, and instead of playing and enjoying, he was given the difficult role of annulling the departure of the biggest star with the rest of the team.##EDITORS_CHOICE##After a good first season, he became completely invisible in the second. And that’s when a friend he made in the capital of Catalonia remembered him. Antoine Griezmann has convinced Simeone, Miguel Ángel Gil Marín and Memphis himself that the two must play together.”In Spanish football, there is no attacking pair with more imagination and more quality in linking,” writes Diego Torres for El Pais, adding that only injuries prevented them from realizing their plan. On Wednesday, they briefly matched their best, unfortunately for Inter.”I try to fit in and stand out at the same time,” recently explained the Dutchman, who considers himself “a different player.” Besides not suffering from a lack of self-confidence, he definitely is different. In every sense. Simon Zwartkruis, the journalist who compiled his biography “Lionheart” a few years ago claims that “with Memphis you can always expect the unexpected.”In addition to football, he has also been a rap musician for many years, and his biggest hit “No Love” has been listened to over 12,000,000 times on Spotify. He still loves parties, which he recently showed in style for his 30th birthday at the Madrid Casino – where many Real Madrid players were also guests. He gave Griezmann a gold NBA-style ring for his anniversary, and he recently showed us his latest Ferrari. During the pandemic, his company was a lion and a tiger cub, to the horror of animal protection institutions. In addition, he has her own fashion brand and especially knows how to surprise (and cheer up) those around him with fashion combos.🎙️ Diego Simeone: “Memphis Depay is a great player. I’ve been saying for a long time that we need him, now he is getting continuity without injuries and we need him as he came in against Inter, strong, intense, and making that difference.” pic.twitter.com/GCX45SoM8P— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) March 16, 2024 This eccentric personality is also noticeable on the field. He loves the spectacle and takes risks to give it to the audience. Which seems a bit shocking at the Metropolitano, the meeting place of gladiators and workers. The reel forward with an attempt to perform a scorpion kick against Lazio is an example of an exhibition that the Colchoneros are by no means used to, and we can only imagine Simeone’s “thrill.” He always seems a bit over the top, on the verge of losing the ball or his balance as he leans on defenders. However, at the same time, he gives the impression that he is able to perform any move he imagines, which he often succeeds in doing.Cholo is clear that Memphis is a better player than Morata. He is able to create play away from the penalty area, to keep the ball at his feet, with great combinations, ball control, and killer shots on goal. Catalan Sport is wondering what more needs to be done to put him in the starting line-up.With Griezmann semi-injured and against his former club, Barcelona, we are likely to see him tonight. But in the long run, Simeone and Atletico seek continuity for occasional flashes of magic and spectacle. They want Memphis in all his glory.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 29Friday Sociedad – Cadiz 2-0 (1-0)/Merino 28, Zakharyan 68/Saturday Mallorca – Granada 1-0 (0-0)/Raillo 85/Osasuna – Real Madrid 2-4 (1-2)/Budimir 7, Munoz 90+1 – Vinicius Jr 4,64, Carvajal 18, Diaz 61/Getafe – Girona 1-0 (1-0)/Santiago 33/Ath. Bilbao – Alaves 2-0 (2-0)/Guruzeta 32,37/Sunday 16.00: (2.00) Sevilla (3.40) Celta (3.90)18.15: (1.95) Las Palmas (3.50) Almeria (3.90)18.15: (2.20) Villareal (3.50) Valencia (3.50)20.30: (2.50) Rayo Vallecano (3.25) Betis (3.15)23.00: (2.45) Atl.Madrid (3.50) Barcelona (3.00)***odds are subject to change***
