Matteo Ruggeri has had a strong debut season with Atletico Madrid, making 42 appearances and contributing seven assists. However, his future remains uncertain due to competition from emerging players and a lack of goals.
Matteo Ruggeri has made 42 appearances, provided seven assists, and helped the team reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Matteo Ruggeri has not scored any goals for Atletico Madrid this season, despite contributing three assists in La Liga.
Homegrown player Julio Diaz is emerging as a competitor for the left-back position, increasing internal competition for Ruggeri.
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Ruggeri has made 22 La Liga appearances this season, with only five coming as a substitute. He has amassed 1,460 minutes in Spain’s top flight and helped Atlético keep six clean sheets in the league, accounting for 27 percent of his appearances. To put his contributions into some context, Ruggeri has completed 36 successful tackles, averaging 2.22 per game. Furthermore, he has made 18 vital interceptions, winning 62 duels on the ground at an average of 3.82 per match. Ruggeri’s aerial prowess has not gone unnoticed either, with the ex-Atalanta defender averaging 1.23 aerial duels won per game. Despite operating mostly as a left-back or a wing-back in Simeone’s 3-5-2 system, he has often shifted into central defensive areas to help form the back line. As such, it’s no wonder he has registered 52 clearances — an average of 3.2 per match. For further perspective, Los Rojiblancos have lost two of their last three league fixtures without Ruggeri, with the sole exception coming in a 2-0 triumph at Valencia, which marked Simeone’s 1,000th game as a manager. During his recent interview with Sky Sport Italia, Ruggeri acknowledged his defensive improvement under Simeone, and credited the 56-year-old for helping him advance his game.
However, Ruggeri’s attacking output has left plenty to be desired so far. The Italian has proved an idle offensive threat without any goals scored in LaLiga to this point, though he has picked up three assists — the same total he registered in Serie A with Atalanta in 2024/25.
Still, he has attempted just four shots on goal, including two on target, generating an unenviable 0.36 xG throughout the 2025/26 campaign.
The recent emergence of homegrown starlet Julio Diaz is unlikely to dislodge Ruggeri from the starting role, but it could challenge him to maintain consistency and stay fully committed to his place in the side.
Considered among the club’s brightest prospects, the 21-year-old has impressed in the final stages of the season, showing maturity beyond his years.