Diego Pablo Simeone González (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈdjeɣo ˈpaβlo simeˈone]; Italian: [ˈdjɛːɡo simeˈoːne, ˈdjeː-]; born 28 December 1968), nicknamed El Cholo ([el ˈtʃolo]), is an Argentine professional football manager and former player who played as a defender; he has been the manager of Atlético Madrid since December 2011.