Whilst the ultimate prize of a Champions League has still eluded them, El Cholo is still managing to keep the mattress makers competitive, as shown by their most recent result, a win in the Madrid derby over a Real side that contained the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.
Alvarez fiasco overshadowed start of season
With LaLiga breaking for the first internationals of the season, Atleti find themselves in second place, level on points with Real Betis, and only behind Barcelona in the table.
Of course, much of the focus this season has been on Julian Alvarez and his desire to move to the Catalan giants, but to Los Rojiblancos' credit, they've held onto the Argentinian, and he may yet prove to be the difference for them in 2026/27.
In general terms, forwards at the club have always earned the plaudits.
Antoine Griezmann, Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero et al... The big names have often come up with the big moments, so it only seems right that their name should be up in lights.
Only Simeone has made more appearances than Hancko
However, the way in which Atleti have played over the past 12 months or so owes much to the defensive excellence of David Hancko.
The Slovak joined the club in the summer of 2025 from Feyenoord, despite having agreed to a move to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.
Since then, he's made 57 appearances for Atleti, and to prove his importance, only Giuliano Simeone has made more in the same time frame.
Hancko has, in fact, actually played the most minutes of any player in that time, with his 4,710 minutes on the pitch pushing Simeone into third place (4,366 minutes) behind Marcos Llorente (57 appearances, 4,416 minutes played).
Colossus at the back for Los Rojiblancos
To say Hancko has been a colossus at the back for Atleti is stating the obvious.
His 210 clearances are the most in the squad since he's been there, as are his 56 interceptions (joint-most with the now-departed Matteo Ruggeri). His 102 headed clearances are equal to Robin Le Normand, with the pair being the only players to have reached a century or more since the start of last season.
With 362 one-on-one duels contested, Hancko has been one of the busier players in this regard, and his 59.2% success is one of the highest in the squad.
Only Le Normand and Alexander Sorloth have won more than Hancko's 76 aerial duels, too, evidencing his all-round defensive excellence.
What's also noticeable, and can often be overlooked, is that the 28-year-old also has an exceptional disciplinary record.
Just four yellow cards received and 22 fouls conceded is a fabulous return for a player whose physicality is part of his natural game.
He's also been a big threat at set-pieces, which have always formed part of the way in which Atleti have played their football under Simeone.
Sorloth has had more headers at goal (48) since the start of last season than Hancko's 17, but the latter's five assists place him just behind Alvarez, Griezmann, Simeone and Llorente, all of whom are attack-minded players.
Is it really any wonder then that his manager considers him a mainstay in his starting XI, with only an unexpected injury likely to curtail his run in the team?
Great competitor who is going nowhere
With a contract until June 2030, there's no likelihood that Hancko is going to be moved on anytime soon, because it's clear that he's one of, if not the most important player for Simeone's style of football.
A great competitor who is rarely injured and who always gives 100% in every game he plays. Those types of players are generally perceived to be a bit of a throwback and are rare in this day and age.
To call them 'traditional' defenders is to do them a great disservice, for Hancko is not only doing well in the modern era, but he is positively thriving.
Ultimately, the team may continue to lose out on the bigger prizes this season because some squads are simply better than theirs.
However, there aren't too many players who can say they are as important to their team as David Hancko is to Atletico Madrid...
Jason Pettigrove has been the features writer for Flashscore since 2025, utilising Opta data to form the basis of his articles. He has previously worked for high-profile football clubs, news and media outlets, both in print and digital, and can usually be found watching FC Barcelona when time permits. You can read more of his pieces here.
