José María Giménez returns to LaLiga for his first match vs Atlético

José María Giménez, of Deportivo La Coruña, returns to LaLiga this Saturday at the Metropolitano for his first-ever matchup against his former Atlético de Madrid: he played 384 games for the club and is the fifth foreigner with most appearances in its history. The Uruguayan faces a special night on matchday 10, after saying his Atlético chapter was over despite still having two years left on his contract.

Ahead of the trip, Giménez was emotional: “Adoro al Atleti, lo amo,” and added that “since my departure, it’s complicated to return,” while thanking the club for what he experienced. He also weighed in on the opponent’s danger, pointing to Julián Álvarez: “Julián (Álvarez) is very heavy… he moves everywhere… falls behind the midfielders… attacks the space.”

In A Coruña, he has become a leader and mentor for younger defenders like Noubi, Bright and Barcia, pushing a message of work to chase the targets. Atlético coach Diego Simeone praised him in his press conference: “Soy un agradecido absoluto a Josema… We want him a lot,” as MARCA reported.