Analysing Johnny Cardoso: The Defensive Midfielder Diego Simeone Has Spent Five Years Searching For

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 Simeone.

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. 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.

Cardoso the Anchor

Amid the din of transfer rumours, one thing stands out: 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.

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 squad’s 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. 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. Overall, Atlético’s substitutes racked up 41 goals and assists across 4,835 minutes, more than any other team. 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. A year later, Thomas Partey moved to Arsenal. Neither was adequately replaced.

Since then, Atlético have run through a carousel of temporary fixes including Lucas Torreira, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Axel Witsel and Arthur Vermeeren. Some were given opportunities, 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 in 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 counters before they become dangerous.

In the Brazil-born USMNT international, Atlético might have one of the most underrated defensive midfielders in world football.

Cardoso’s Defensive Edge

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 become the steady presence who allowed Isco to operate freely.

One of his standout qualities is anticipation. He reads the game so well that he prevents passes from reaching their destination. Only four midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues made more interceptions per 90 last season than Cardoso.

This is exactly the kind of player Simeone has been missing. Without a defensive midfielder who can break up play and cover space, Simeone has struggled to build an attack with consistency or purpose.

Cardoso also makes risk-taking possible for those around him. He isn’t a high-risk passer himself, 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.

Cardoso can withstand pressure and make the right decision under a press. It’s a small stat but speaks volumes. He helps Atlético avoid hoofing the ball forward at the first sign of trouble.

His defensive actions per 90 are elite, but there’s more juice left in his attacking skillset if Simeone wants to squeeze it.

More Than Just a Destroyer

Cardoso’s creative numbers don’t leap off the page. That’s not surprising. At Betis, Isco was the playmaker. Cardoso’s job was to shield the defence, not dictate attacks.

Still, there’s more to his game than just destruction. His childhood idol was Kaká. It may seem odd for a ball-winning midfielder, but maybe not. He shows some of that same balance and forward thrust when he pushes into space. His lack of chance creation is a by-product of role, not ability.

Against Atlético, in a game Betis won comfortably, Cardoso showed his best attacking traits. He touched the ball more than any other Betis player and created chances with line-breaking passes and quick transitions. He also scored the game-winner with a header and dominated the midfield.

It might be that performance which convinced Simeone to go all in.

Structure, Finally

Cardoso doesn’t just fill a gap. He gives Atlético flexibility to rethink how they use their more attack-minded midfielders.

Pablo Barrios has often been miscast as a defensive midfielder. In high-stakes games like the Champions League clash against Leverkusen, his lack of defensive instincts have been exposed. With Cardoso behind him, Barrios can play higher up where his energy and drive are better used.

It could also extend Koke’s usefulness. The club captain signed a one-year extension but started just 20 La Liga games last season. With someone else doing the heavy lifting, Koke’s experience could still play a key role in calmer, slower phases of play.

Then there’s Álex Baena, one of the most creative passers in Europe. He can defend and foul tactically, but his best work is in the final third. Thiago Almada adds verticality and movement, giving Simeone more variety.

Factor in the rest of the attacking additions from last summer like Sørloth and Julián Álvarez and you have a team with both structure and invention.

Cardoso won’t be the face of this new Atlético. But he might be the reason it works.

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 Simeone.

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. 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.

Cardoso the Anchor

Amid the din of transfer rumours, one thing stands out: 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.

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 squad’s 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. 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. Overall, Atlético’s substitutes racked up 41 goals and assists across 4,835 minutes, more than any other team. 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. A year later, Thomas Partey moved to Arsenal. Neither was adequately replaced.

Since then, Atlético have run through a carousel of temporary fixes including Lucas Torreira, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Axel Witsel and Arthur Vermeeren. Some were given opportunities, 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 in 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 counters before they become dangerous.

In the Brazil-born USMNT international, Atlético might have one of the most underrated defensive midfielders in world football.

Cardoso’s Defensive Edge

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 become the steady presence who allowed Isco to operate freely.

One of his standout qualities is anticipation. He reads the game so well that he prevents passes from reaching their destination. Only four midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues made more interceptions per 90 last season than Cardoso.

This is exactly the kind of player Simeone has been missing. Without a defensive midfielder who can break up play and cover space, Simeone has struggled to build an attack with consistency or purpose.

Cardoso also makes risk-taking possible for those around him. He isn’t a high-risk passer himself, 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.

Cardoso can withstand pressure and make the right decision under a press. It’s a small stat but speaks volumes. He helps Atlético avoid hoofing the ball forward at the first sign of trouble.

His defensive actions per 90 are elite, but there’s more juice left in his attacking skillset if Simeone wants to squeeze it.

More Than Just a Destroyer

Cardoso’s creative numbers don’t leap off the page. That’s not surprising. At Betis, Isco was the playmaker. Cardoso’s job was to shield the defence, not dictate attacks.

Still, there’s more to his game than just destruction. His childhood idol was Kaká. It may seem odd for a ball-winning midfielder, but maybe not. He shows some of that same balance and forward thrust when he pushes into space. His lack of chance creation is a by-product of role, not ability.

Against Atlético, in a game Betis won comfortably, Cardoso showed his best attacking traits. He touched the ball more than any other Betis player and created chances with line-breaking passes and quick transitions. He also scored the game-winner with a header and dominated the midfield.

It might be that performance which convinced Simeone to go all in.

Structure, Finally

Cardoso doesn’t just fill a gap. He gives Atlético flexibility to rethink how they use their more attack-minded midfielders.

Pablo Barrios has often been miscast as a defensive midfielder. In high-stakes games like the Champions League clash against Leverkusen, his lack of defensive instincts have been exposed. With Cardoso behind him, Barrios can play higher up where his energy and drive are better used.

It could also extend Koke’s usefulness. The club captain signed a one-year extension but started just 20 La Liga games last season. With someone else doing the heavy lifting, Koke’s experience could still play a key role in calmer, slower phases of play.

Then there’s Álex Baena, one of the most creative passers in Europe. He can defend and foul tactically, but his best work is in the final third. Thiago Almada adds verticality and movement, giving Simeone more variety.

Factor in the rest of the attacking additions from last summer like Sørloth and Julián Álvarez and you have a team with both structure and invention.

Cardoso won’t be the face of this new Atlético. But he might be the reason it works.