Johnny Cardoso fills a spot in Atlético Madrid‘s midfield that Diego Simeone has been trying to solve for five years.
Johnny Cardoso isn’t the kind of player you build a strategy around. But without someone like him, your options narrow fast.
Diego Simeone has learned that the hard way through the years. Director of Football, Carlos Bucero, has gone full reboot mode this summer and addressed a number of problem positions for ‘Cholo’.
This time last year, we wrote about Atlético’s ‘all-in summer’ as they looked to rebuild their squad for the first time in several years. There were big names signed but bigger questions remained.
This summer is different.
Their defence has been overhauled, with Marc Pubill, David Hancko and Matteo Ruggeri brought in. The midfield has been reshaped too with Álex Baena, Thiago Almada and Cardoso all arriving, while Stuttgart’s Enzo Millot could be next.
It’s entirely possible that when Atlético kick off their La Liga campaign against Espanyol on August 17, they will do so with an entirely new backline and midfield.
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4 months ago Jamie KempHow it all fits together and what Simeone wants from them both individually and collectively remains unresolved as Atlético’s busy summer continues.
But one thing stands out amid the din of transfer rumours: Cardoso.
A defensive midfield anchor who brings calm, structure and range. It’s something Simeone has lacked and been forced to work around for years. The 23-year-old’s signing didn’t make big headlines, but he could be the man who makes the whole finally work again.
A Pivot Away From Consistency
Simeone has often been criticised for not evolving fast enough at Atlético Madrid. It’s true – he stuck dogmatically to the principles that brought him success. But more recently, as if fully aware of his squadvs limitations and out of sheer necessity, he has transformed into a tactical tinkerer.
Last season, Atlético made their first substitution, on average, after just 51 minutes. Only Real Sociedad and Barcelona turned to their benches quicker. What’s more, no manager in La Liga made their second through fifth substitutions earlier. By the 64th minute, Simeone had already used three of his five changes on average. Statistically speaking, no one had a quicker draw.
It mostly paid off. Alexander Sørloth led the league in goal contributions off the bench (14). Overall, Atlético’s substitutes collectively racked up 41 goals and assists across 4,835 minutes, which was more than any other team in the league. Barcelona, second on that list, had just 29.
But whether or not it worked is beside the point. The fact that Simeone was reaching for Plan B so often and so early suggested a deeper problem with Plan A.
There was a time when Atlético’s starting XI was etched in stone. Simeone knew his squad’s strengths and, more importantly, what he didn’t have to worry about. Over time, that certainty eroded.
Two departures in particular unbalanced the entire structure. Rodri left for Manchester City in 2019 and, a year later, Thomas Partey moved to Arsenal, and neither were adequately replaced.
Since then, Atlético have run through a carousel of temporary fixes and patchwork pivots including Lucas Torreira, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Axel Witsel and Arthur Vermeeren. Some were given opportunities to showcase their skills but once the pressure mounted, they were dropped or tactics were changed to mask their weaknesses.
Every candidate had a fatal flaw: Kondogbia lacked composure on the ball. Witsel couldn’t cover ground. The Vermeeren launch never even got off the ground.
Cardoso is different.
He played beside Sergi Altimira as part of Manuel Pellegrini’s 4-2-3-1 but he is not a systems-dependent midfielder. Cardoso can sit alone in front of the back four or work in a double pivot. He is secure on the ball, aggressive in recovery and consistently disrupts opposition counters before they become dangerous.
In the Brazil-born, USMNT international, Atlético might just have one of the most underrated defensive midfielders in world football.
Cardoso the Anchor
It’s easy to forget Johnny Cardoso is only 23. He arrived at Betis as a 21-year-old and it barely registered. Since then, he’s quietly embedded himself at the core of Pellegrini’s midfield, becoming the steady presence who allowed Isco to operate freely as the creative heartbeat of the team.
One of Cardoso’s standout qualities is his anticipation. He reads the game so well that he prevents passes from reaching their destination often. Only four midfielders (minimum 1,000 minutes) in Europe’s top five leagues made more interceptions per 90 than Cardoso last season (2.02).
This is exactly the kind of player Simeone has been missing. Without a defensive midfielder who can break up play and cover space reliably, Simeone has struggled to build an attack with consistency or purpose.
He’s also the type of player who makes risk-taking possible for those around him. He might not be a high-risk passer himself (more on that below), but he’s safe, precise, and rarely makes the kind of mistake that forces the team into emergency mode. He misplaced just four backward passes all season, out of 153 attempts.
It’s a small and seemingly insignificant stat, but one that speaks volumes about his decision-making and discipline. Cardoso can withstand pressure and make the right decision in order to draw out a press while keeping the ball safe, something that will help Atlético from hoofing it forward at the first sign of danger.
Cardoso’s defensive actions per 90 are elite but there’s more juice left in his attacking and in-possession skillset if Simeone thinks it’s worth the squeeze.
Cardoso’s Creative Edge
Cardoso’s creative numbers don’t leap off the page, and that’s not surprising. At Betis, Isco was the designated playmaker. Cardoso played in a double pivot and was tasked more with shielding the backline than orchestrating attacks. With Antony, Isco and co. handling the flair, his job was to keep the structure intact.
Still, there’s more to his game than just destruction. His childhood idol was Kaká, which might seem a curious choice for a ball-winning midfielder, but maybe not totally far-fetched. Comparing the two is obviously a stretch we’re not willing to make, but there’s a hint of that same balance and forward thrust when Cardoso pushes into space. His lack of chance creation is more a by-product of role than ability.
Against Atlético, a game Betis won while dominating, Cardoso showed off his very best attacking traits. It might be this game, in particular, that convinced Simeone and Atlético to go all out for their new man.
He touched the ball more than any other Betis player (78) and also created a couple of chances including this one for Abde with an incisive pass through Atlético’s defence. For the other one, he won the ball back high up, pirouetted past a would-be tackler and laid it off. Betis deserved to go in 3-0 up at the break with Cardoso as the orchestrator.
He won the game for Betis with a header in the first half but he also won plenty of admirers with his performance that day too.
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Cardoso doesn’t just fill a gap in defensive midfield. His presence allows Atlético to rethink how they use their more attack-minded midfielders.
Pablo Barrios, one of the few homegrown players to break through under Simeone, has often been miscast as a defensive midfielder. In high-stakes games, like the Champions League clash against Bayer Leverkusen, his lack of defensive instincts have been exposed. With Cardoso anchoring midfield, Barrios can play higher up where his energy and drive are far more effective.
It could also prolong the influence of Koke. The club captain signed a one-year extension this summer, but started just 20 La Liga games last season, his fewest since establishing himself in 2011–12. With someone else doing the heavy lifting behind him, Koke’s experience and composure could still play a crucial role as a more logical and predictable Plan B.
Then there’s Álex Baena, one of the most creative passers in Europe. He works defensively and knows how to commit a tactical foul when needed, but his best work is threading through balls in the final third. Thiago Almada adds even more verticality and movement, giving Simeone rare variety between the lines.
Factor in the rest of the attacking bounty from last summer (Sørloth and Julián Álvarez) and you’re looking at a team that finally has both structure and invention.
Cardoso won’t be the face of this new era. But he might be the reason it works.
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