Atletico Madrid players take part in ‘Murder Hill’ training exercise and it looks brutal
.png)
Atlético Madrid the players looked like they had it all zapped after taking part in a brutal “murder hill” fitness drill in pre-season.
Diego Simeone’s side are based in Los Angeles from San Rafael and up in the mountains heading to Segovia for a traditional two-week training camp to kick off their preparations for the new season.
The Los Rojiblancos are regular visitors to the Sierra de Guadarrama and their most recent venture marks 50 years since settling.
And when we say players are tested, we’re not lying.
Atleti fitness trainer Oscar Ortega, nicknamed ‘El Profe’, had a special ramp built behind the training ground for the team to beat.
Atleti’s players have to sprint down the 50m, 30% gradient as the scorching sun shines on them. It feels like absolute death and it all starts to make sense when you read Ortega.
📍⛰ El primer equipo ya se encuentra en los Ángeles de San Rafael y entrenarán allí hasta el 23 de julio.
– El Atleti vulve a sufrir con la mítica rampa del Profe Ortega en la que han detachado especialmente Lemar y Carrasco. pic.twitter.com/awGkmZWMIR
— PasionColchonera2022 (@PasionAtm2022) July 12, 2022
In his 60s, Ortega is known as a “sadist” and someone who likes to push his players until they vomit and collapse.
Ahead of the 2016 Champions League final against Real Madrid, he gave players laps around the San Siro.
And that training camp was clearly taking its toll on the first-team stars. Pictures online show them completely shattered and breathing heavily.
Antoine Griezmann, Atletico’s all-time top scorer, was struggling seriously and his facial expression said it all about how he felt at the time.
New signing Axel Witsel was also thrown straight into the deep end and forced into the brutal drill, while Thomas Lemar and Yannick Carrasco were said to have excelled.
🥵¡AXEL WITSEL designs the famous CUESTA del PROFE ORTEGA!
🏋️♂️El Atleti continues to work in the first week of entrenamientos. pic.twitter.com/FsqMw1AcXl
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) July 12, 2022
Así acabaron los jugadores tras la rampa.
La temida rampa hizo acto de aparición este martes por la mañana por primera vez en la pretemporada del Atléti. Los jugadores fueron superando esta cuesta pedida por el Profe Ortega y que se estreno en 2019 pic.twitter.com/35NC4X4JK7
— Atléticos y cholistas (@atletiycholista) July 12, 2022
Atleti’s first pre-season match is against Numancia in Soria and they will then travel to Osla, Norway to face last season’s Champions League knockout round Manchester United on July 30.
The final friendly will be against Cádiz on August 4, before their La Liga campaign kicks off against Getafe on August 15.
