Diego Simeone said he has not even considered stepping away from Atletico Madrid, where he has been in charge since 2011.
Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone was emphatic that he has no interest in leaving his post after a decade in charge during his media availability for Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League fixture against the red-hot Club Brugge.
Simeone’s side are currently fourth in the LaLiga table and also fourth in UEFA Champions League Group B, behind Brugge, Porto and Bayer Leverkusen after scoring a total of two goals from three games.
A poor result against Brugge could mean the end of Atlético’s Champions League campaign, but with two LaLiga titles and two Champions League final appearances, Simeone said he understands the ups and downs that come with the job.
“I’m not going anywhere, I’m here,” he said. “I feel as safe as ever. They asked me the other day if I saw myself anywhere else, and my answer was no, absolutely.”
“When I think about it, because I’m leaving, and I’m not leaving, I’m here. I hope to pass on what I feel, which is why I’ve been at this club for so many years.
“We know how important this game is. We have to do well, so we have to do our best and we need our fans to show up.
“We expected more from the first part of the season, but you always expect that. I see players with great enthusiasm to improve. This is the way.”
Simeone also took the blame for Joao Felix’s form, with the 22-year-old striker yet to score this season.
“Everything bad Joao Felix does, I do worse because I’m the one not giving him what he needs to reach his potential,” he said.
“He hasn’t changed at all, his teammates who compete with him are better and the coach understands that.
“Joao is important for the club and for the team. He hasn’t found the most important thing for him in this campaign, the goal, and that’s causing him frustration.”