Atletico Madrid coach Simeone signs four year deal

　　MADRID, Mar¹. 5 (Xinhua) -- Atletico Madrid have announced an agreement to extend the contract of coach, Diego Simeone for a further four seasons.

　　The Argentinean, whose current deal was due to expire at the end of the current season, has agreed a new contact to keep him at the club until the end of June 2017.

　　The deal, which was announced at around 17:30 local time on the Atletico Madrid website, is a reward for the excellent work which Simeone has done in the Vicente Calderon Stadium since replacing Gregorio Manzano as Atletico coach at the end of December 2011.

　　Simeone resurrected a side that was looking doomed² to mid-table obscurity and led them to the 2012 Europa League title, defeating Athletic³ Club Bilbao 3-0 in the final which was held in Bucharest.

　　He was able to impart the fighting spirit which won him the affections of the Atletico Madrid supporters during two spells as a player with the club, between 1994-97 and 2003-05 into his squad⁴, which became incredibly difficult to beat.

　　This season's work with Atletico Madrid has been equally impressive and his side is currently second in the BBVA Primera Liga table, all be it 11 points behind league leaders FC Barcelona.

　　However, importantly for Atletico fans the club is ahead of bitter local rivals, Real Madrid in the classification and under Simeone's leadership the club last week qualified⁵ for the final of the Copa del Rey after defeating Sevilla in the semi-final.

　　They will now face Real Madrid in the final where they will look to end the jinx that has seen them fail to beat their neighbours since 1999.

　　Simeone's work had attracted the attention of other sides, with another of the clubs he spent time with as a player, Inter⁶ Milan, thought to have been willing to offer him an contract, and Atletico moved quickly to assure the coach's continuity.

　　Club President, Enrique Cerezo had spent several days insisting a deal was close to being agreed and that was shown to be the case this Tuesday. The club and Simeone will give a press conference at lunchtime on Wednesday.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

3 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

4 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

5 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

6 inter   

v.埋葬

参考例句：

• They interred their dear comrade in the arms.他们埋葬了他们亲爱的战友。
• The man who died in that accident has been interred.在那次事故中死的那个人已经被埋葬了。