Sadiq and Sucic: The Atlético curse haunting Real Sociedad's once-promising stars
How two Real Sociedad players who dazzled against Atlético Madrid on their debuts have struggled to live up to early promise, with January exits now looming.
Two players who once lit up Anoeta against Atlético Madrid now find themselves at career crossroads as the Rojiblancos return to San Sebastián.
Funny old game, football. Sometimes a player’s best day at a club comes right at the beginning, leaving fans with a case of what might’ve been. For Real Sociedad’s Umar Sadiq and Luka Sucic, their debuts against Atlético Madrid promised the earth but delivered precious little afterwards.
Sadiq’s Nightmare Journey
Cast your mind back to September 2022. La Real splashed a cool £20 million on Nigerian striker Sadiq from Almería, where he’d been absolutely mustard, banging in over 40 goals across two seasons.
The big man couldn’t have asked for a better start:
- Signed on September 1st
- Scored on debut just two days later against Atlético (securing a 1-1 draw)
- Started at Old Trafford against Manchester United in the Europa League
Then disaster struck. In just his third appearance, Sadiq’s cruciate ligament went Pete Tong. When he finally returned, he was a shadow of his former self, managing a measly three goals in 47 appearances before being shipped out on loan to Valencia.
Sucic’s Similar Story
Fast forward two years to Luka Sucic’s arrival. The Croatian wonderkid showed early promise, particularly shining against Real Madrid and then scoring an absolute worldie against—you guessed it—Atlético Madrid in just his seventh appearance about 14 months ago.
But like Sadiq before him, the initial spark fizzled out. His form dipped dramatically, and under Sergio Francisco this season, he’s barely had a look-in.
January Decisions
Both players now feature prominently on the potential January exit list as La Real look to free up space for new signings. However, there’s a twist in the tale—while Sadiq seems destined for the door, Sucic might get another chance under new boss Pellegrino Matarazzo.
President Jokin Aperribay and sporting director Erik Bretos have emphasized the need to extract more from existing talent rather than just buying new. The Croatian showed promising signs during Jon Ansotegi’s brief stint as caretaker manager.
As Atlético return to Anoeta, these two players will be reminded of their glory days in txuriurdin—brief as they were—and wondering if they’ll get another opportunity to recreate that magic or if their Basque adventure is coming to an end.