Mario Mandžukić moves to Atletico Madrid

The current Spanish champions and Champions League runner-up, Atletico Madrid, confirmed the agreement with Bayern Munich over the fee for Mario Mandžukić's transfer. Croatian striker then signed a four-year contract with Atletico, after completing his medical at the Spanish capital.

Leaving Bayern was an expected move for Mandžukić after two very successful seasons at Munich. Mandžukić won a number of trophies, including two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League title. However, the transfer of Robert Lewandowski and coach Josep Guardiola's tactical ideas initiated Mandžukić' decision.

Atletico Madrid won the race for his signature, and Croatian internationals will feature in the Primera clashes of the titans - with Ivan Rakitić at Barcelona and Luka Modrić at Real Madrid.

Coach Diego Simeone considers Mandžukić an ideal replacement for Diego Costa, the new Chelsea players. With his aggressive style of play, Mandžukić should be a perfect fit for a very dynamic Atletico team.

Mandžukić scored 33 league goals for Bayern, and 48 in total - in 88 matches. The most memorable one was against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final in 2013.

"I know Atletico well, they have quality players and a good coach. I am happy to be here, after watching a lot of Atletico games. I like their style of play and I feel I can achieve a lot with this team", said Mandžukić after arriving to Madrid.

Copyright by Croatian Football Federation. Quoting text from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to HNS as a source and providing direct link to the original content at hns.family. Re-use of the photographs is not permitted.