Atletico Madrid have recently signed a contract with the Swiss international, Viola Calligaris, that transfers her from Juventus to Las Colchoneras until June 2028.
This is not the first time Calligaris plays for Atletico as she has played for them during the 2017-2019 period.
Following several experiences since her departure in 2019 at all of Valencia, Levante, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus, Calligaris returns to Liga F to reinforce the Atletico while being a lot more experienced.
Why Atletico Madrid Wanted Viola Calligaris Back
Calligaris is a winner who has already proved her worth in Spain since she won two Primera Division titles with Atletico in the 2017-18 and the 2018-19 seasons while making 38 appearances.
After that, she continued being central to her national team and clubs’ projects wherever she went while developing more experiences in the different leagues she played in.
The 30-year-old defender has now become a more complete defender and leader, capable of helping Atletico challenge the best teams in the league again, notably Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Moreover, being accustomed to the league’s standards and playing style, as well as to the quality of the opponents will surely make her integration much smoother than the rest of the new signings.
What Calligaris Brings To Atletico's Defence
Calligaris has been alternating between the right-back and centre-back positions throughout her career and is actually experienced in both positions.
This makes her a valuable player in defence as she provides more than one solution in terms of positioning.
This positional flexibility makes her fit any playing system and cope with any head coach playing style or philosophy.
In terms of physical and athletic abilities, she combines between impressive pace and powerful one-vs-one defending qualities.
She can be very useful when she advances from the wings to support the attacks as well as in the build-up phase, knowing that she is good in dribbling too.
Her experience in the various build-up situations and her useful advancing in attack can add a lot of quality to Atlético’s possession phase.
More importantly, Calligaris is even more talented and useful in the defensive phase; with excellent abilities in aerial duels, crucial interceptions and clearances, and an ability to read the opponent’s attacking plans well enough to know when and how to anticipate them.
Overall, Calligaris represents a huge defensive addition to Atletico Madrid and will surely add a lot of security and confidence within the team’s back-line next season.
