REINILDO MANDAVA: ATLETI RETROSPECTIVE

Reinildo's arrival in the summer must go down as one of Sunderland's greatest ever free transfers. We spoke to the Atletico Madrid representatives from Inside020 to talk about how he did in Spain, his relationship with the fans and why he was allowed to leave for free.

Reinildo has performed to such a high level so far, proving invaluable to our defensive line and the way we press. How come he was allowed to leave on a free over the summer?

Atlético wanted to lower the average age of the squad, that’s why they let him, and others like Witsel and Azpilicueta, go for free.

You can tell he's a soldier of Diego Simeone - the tough tackling, he's a proper defender! I can imagine Diego Simeone loved him...

When Reinildo came to Atlético, he became a starter immediately, which is rare because Simeone is very loyal to his other players. He did start off very well, as a left back and as a left centre back in a system with five defenders. Sadly, he tore his ACL and after that he did not become a regular starter anymore.

There has been the odd daft moment where he's let himself (and the team) down. He gave away a penalty against Brentford, and got sent off for kicking out at Matty Cash. Can you remember things like this happening at Atleti?

I don’t really remember a moment of him doing anything stupid. He always was a very steady player at Atlético.

What is your favourite trait of Reinildo?

Certainly his passion!

He's one of the most experienced players in our squad, was he seen as a leader at Atletico Madrid?

He didn’t become a leader at Atlético because Atléti has a core of players who have been there for ages, like Oblak, Griezmann or Giménez.

Do any fond memories stand out in particular?

The match against Athletic Bilbao in October 2022. Atlético won 0-1 and Reinildo played his best game for Atlético. He was named Man of the Match for his blocks, tackles and won duels.

He's popular among our fanbase, how did your supporters feel about him generally?

He wasn’t the most popular player, but fans had appreciation for him and would’ve liked to keep him because he can cover multiple positions as a back-up.

Reinildo is 31, how long can you see him playing at the top level?

He has had a very bad injury, but that was his only injury in his career. It is difficult to say if his knee is still a problem, but the signs are very positive for a long career.