Simeone said in the pre-season that if there was one player who couldn’t be replaced at Atleti it would be you...
What Simeone said makes me very proud, he gives me a lot of support and a lot of confidence. That’s what makes you want to repay that faith when you step on the pitch, or in the day to day routine. I want to do what the coach has told me to: give the best of myself for the good of the team and the club. To have a coach who supports you and respects you like this is the best thing you can have as a footballer.
Your coach recognises your value to the team, as do the fans, but it’s been a struggle...
I arrived in a year where there were lots of ups and downs at Atleti, we were able to do amazing things as well as perform appallingly. We won trophies, but we lost matches and the side didn’t get into the Champions League. With the arrival of Simeone everything has stabilised and the relationship with the fans is different. He’s got the club on an even keel and the side are playing in the Champions League constantly. He’s won major trophies and that gives you everything. The line between winning and losing is a fine one and victories bring you prestige, stability and continuity. It’s true that I’ve got better as my career at Atleti has gone on.
And the peak was the goal in the Camp Nou…
That goal was the icing on the cake for all those years. I’d won various titles, but not with the same feelings and with what it represented for the team and the club. Every day I feel I have more of a role to play here, with a tremendous responsibility when we’re on the pitch. I have really deep feelings for this club and my desire and my hope is for things to go as well as possible. I see things just like another fan. That goal represents the feelings of the fans and I was lucky enough to give that joy to them and to the players too.
You’ll have relived it time and time again…
Yes, it’s true, many times. It’s a special moment and I know it made a lot of people happy. To be out and about and have so many people thank you is the most wonderful thing that can happen to you. You can lose or win, but when the fans thank you and value what you do on the pitch it’s the most beautiful thing. Just like seeing the kids with their Atlético shirts, proud of their team. It’s lovely. More than winning or losing, that’s what I think about.
The defensive pairing of Miranda-Godín has gone down in Atleti’s history….
We understand each other very well. Joao is a great player and now he’s been rewarded with a place in the national side. The main thing is that we’ve kept the core of the team, which gives the club stability. Now here it’s seen as normal, but the hardest thing is to maintain regularity. For the players to want to be here and committed is the hardest thing. Hopefully it will last many years.
Talking of that, you had offers to leave, but you always said your number one aim was to stay at Atlético…
From the moment I arrived here I felt, due to the papers, that there were offers. I never knew anything. This year it’s true people checked my situation, but I’m quite clear about it: with the backing of Cholo, with what he says about me, with what the President tells me, with what the fans give me and with the feeling I have for this club, it’s hard to leave. It’s true that football is a job and one works to earn money, but when there are so many feelings involved, it’s hard to change clubs just to earn a bit more cash. I respect every player and their decisions, but that’s my feeling, I decided to stay and hopefully I’ll be here for many years.
Another derby comes around, but you know how to hurt Madrid now…
A game like this isn’t just another game, we know they are special matches. We’ve won matches, finals, Ligas and that’s hard to do. That gives us the confidence to know we’re on the right track.
Maybe before Atleti were frightened going to the Bernabéu, but now they are going there looking for three points, though at the end of the day they’d be happy with one…
Our mentality is to win every game. But we know we’re playing Real Madrid in their stadium. The mentality is always to win. Another thing is how the game goes and maybe a draw ends up being a good result.
How often do you think of Lisbon?
We were so close and it just got away from us. But that’s football. A week before we’d won the Liga at Barça’s ground. These things help you learn and grow. Football gives you the chance of revenge and I’m sure we’ll take it.
from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/1szTIWB
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