Diego Simeone: Atletico's miracle worker of the Madrid derby

Since arriving at the Vicente Calderon, Diego Simeone has transformed Atletico Madrid from the lamb brought out for slaughter in the Madrid derby into a seasoned gladiator that continuously upsets the story with shock victories and gritty, passionate performances.

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Simeone choosing to fight against the giants with Atletico Madrid rather than chasing big money and further international fame makes him the romantic's favorite. Watching him lead Atleti to the 2013-14 La Liga title at the Camp Nou on the final day of the season, one could not help but marvel at how quickly he had instilled confidence in an Atletico side that got beaten like a piñata every time it faced rival Real Madrid.

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Of course, even this gifted manager could not reverse decades of damage overnight. In the 20 Madrid derbies preceding Simeone's arrival at Atletico, Real had won 16, drawn four and lost none. Atletico Madrid had not won in over a decade – Oct. 10, 1999, to be exact. Appointed in December of 2011, Simeone suffered a 4-1 defeat in his first Madrid derby which came three and a half months after he signed on. Cristiano Ronaldo welcomed "Cholo" with a hat trick and a reminder that Real Madrid reigned in the capital city.

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In his first full season, Simeone suffered two La Liga defeats to Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid, but the Argentine would finally break Real's suffocating streak. In the 2013 Copa del Rey final. Ronaldo's perfectly placed header beat Thibaut Courtois in the 14th minute, and it looked like yet another Real Madrid massacre in the making. But then, Radamel Falcao showed tremendous strength to ward over two defenders and pinpoint a pass to Diego Costa, who struck a ball across goal with ferocity to level the score. An extra-time header from Miranda would give Atleti the edge, and Real Madrid's spell over Atletico Madrid was suddenly broken.

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In the following season, Atleti would win once and draw once against Real Madrid in La Liga. Four points in two Madrid derbies would play a vital role in narrowly winning the 2013-14 Spanish league title over Real Madrid and Barcelona. It's worth mentioning that Real Madrid did get the better of Atelti with two comprehensive victories in the Copa del Rey. But still, two wins in two years after 20 matches with no success counted as progress.

After suffering one more defeat, Simeone and Atletico Madrid went on to go unbeaten in seven straight rivalry games with four wins and three draws. Of course, that last defeat came on the grandest stage and hurt in the worst kind of way.

Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final, as a late header by Sergio Ramos saved Real at the death and sent the match to extra time. In those extra 30 minutes, Atleti fell apart in every way. And with the dream destroyed, Simeone turned his passion into rage and lost his head. The pit bull on the sidelines had to be restrained and dragged away before the game's conclusion.

Simeone could have left Atleti at that point after having restored respect to the red and whites in the city. He could have left for more money in his bank account and more money to spend in the transfer market. Surely, teams held interest, as rumors swirled about Manchester City's money potentially calling at season's end. However, Simeone shut the door on those riches and rumors when he signed a five-year contract extension in March.

In his black shirt and with his hair slicked back, Simeone is set to patrol the sidelines and bark orders at the Vicente Calderon until 2020. One of the finest atmospheres in Europe, the Vicente Calderon boils over when the Argentine infringes on the opposition's technical area or gestures to the supporters. Few in world football can contend with Simeone's touchline dramatics.

In a modern world of managers and players using smaller clubs as stepping stones to land bigger paydays, Simeone is that rare manager who is content to stay in an environment that fits his personality. Because of him, Atleti has more stability than Real in Madrid.

And thanks to Simeone, even if Real Madrid holds the crown in Europe, Atletico Madrid can legitimately claim superiority in the Spanish capital. Considering Atleti's record in the derby when he arrived, the turnaround is nothing short of miraculous.

Shahan Ahmed is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. He has previously written about the 2014 World Cup and 2013 Confederations Cup and regularly provides opinions on the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and Spanish La Liga. Follow Shahan on Twitter: @ShahanLA and @perfectpass