The story of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink arrived from Leeds United in 1999, a powerful Dutch striker with a thunderous shot. His only season at Atlético was one of the strangest in the club's history.
Goals in a difficult year
Hasselbaink scored 24 league goals in 1999–2000, among the best figures in La Liga, and helped the team reach the Copa del Rey final, where they lost to Espanyol. But the club was in turmoil off the pitch, and despite his goals Atlético were relegated to the Segunda División at the end of the season.
Legacy
He joined Chelsea in 2000 and became one of the Premier League's top scorers. At Atlético he is remembered with a mixture of admiration and sadness: a striker who scored enough goals for a much better season.
