Tottenham and Atletico Madrid will do battle in the last-16 of the Champions League soon, but there are only six players in the history of the game who know what it means to play for both of these teams.
There’s no such thing as an easy draw when it comes to the knockout stages of the Champions League, but Spurs will surely be wary of the threat Atletico Madrid pose.
The Spanish outfit are tough customers who play aggressive, slick football under Diego Simeone. The fact Tottenham have only played Atletico once in the past means we have little to go on, too.
Still, there are six players who could tell us all a thing or two about the La Liga side, and likewise, who could inform Atletico all about Tottenham if they wanted to.
Who has played for Tottenham and Atletico Madrid?
Conor Gallagher
The big January transfer deal for Spurs was Conor Gallagher arriving from Atletico Madrid for around £34m. Suffice it to say, the midfielder knows the Spaniards very well, having spent roughly 18 months in Madrid.
He’s only just finding his feet in North London, but Gallagher made 77 appearances for Atletico, registering seven goals and seven assists.
Toby Alderweireld
Before he arrived in England to join Southampton, Spurs icon Toby Alderweireld spent a year with Atletico Madrid. He joined the Spanish side from Ajax, but only made 22 appearances before being loaned to the Saints. During his six-year stay in N17, the Belgian defender turned out 236 times for the Lilywhites.
Kieran Trippier
Kieran Trippier is another member of that very special squad Mauricio Pochettino put together at Spurs. He played 114 times for Tottenham between 2015 and 2019, before being sold to Atletico Madrid for a fee of around £20m. The full-back spent two-and-a-half years in Spain, winning La Liga and making 86 appearances for Simeone’s side.
Matt Doherty
One of the more bizarre transfers in recent times for Tottenham was the deal to send Matt Doherty to Atletico Madrid. It was initially agreed the Irishman would go there on loan, but it turned out the Lilywhites had exceeded the number of overseas loans they could make in one season, so they decided to release Doherty instead.
After signing on a free in January 2023, Doherty played just twice for Atletico Madrid and was released that summer. He played 71 times for Tottenham, scoring three goals and adding eight assists.
Clement Lenglet
Spurs could well see a familiar face in the Atletico line-up later this month, with Clement Lenglet having signed for the Spaniards last summer on a free transfer. He ended his seven-year association with Barcelona, during which time he went on loan multiple times, including a year-long loan to Tottenham in 2022/23.
The French centre-half played 35 times for Spurs that season, but has already surpassed that with Atletico, turning out 50 times for his new club.
Sergio Reguilon
After a bright start at Spurs, Sergio Reguilon found himself something of an outcast under Antonio Conte and also during Ange Postecoglou’s tenure as Tottenham boss. He was shipped out on loan to various clubs, with one of them being Atletico. However, injuries limited his progress there during the 2022/23 campaign, and he made just 12 appearances.
While at Tottenham, the left-back played 73 times, registering two goals and nine assists.