Simeone focused on Atletico success despite Real Madrid and Barcelona question

Diego Simeone says Atletico de Madrid must continue chasing major trophies as the club’s rise under his leadership has brought far greater expectations, while offering an intriguing response when asked whether he could manage Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Simeone has been in charge of Atletico for 15 years and said the club’s improved status had changed the meaning of success. Speaking in comments reported by Mundo Deportivo, he said: “In the past, winning was a source of happiness; now it has become a source of relief.”

The Argentine manager believes Atletico’s progress has also increased the pressure on him and his players.

“I am suffering now because we have taken the club to a place where we are more exposed to pressure, with expectations rising to a very high level, and therefore our responsibility has become huge,” he said. “A good season is no longer enough.”

Atletico reached the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, lost the Copa del Rey final on penalties and finished fourth in La Liga. Simeone acknowledged that matching or improving on those achievements would be a demanding task.

“We have to reach the Champions League final, win the Copa del Rey and finish in one of the top two positions in a competition that includes Real Madrid and Barcelona,” he said.

Simeone, who insisted he still has the energy required to remain in charge, said Atletico’s priorities this season include “recovering the defensive solidity that we lost, especially in the Champions League”.

He also wants the team’s midfielders to have a greater influence in front of goal, with Atletico aiming to “increase the contribution of the midfield players in scoring goals”.

“I still believe that we are capable of pursuing what our supporters want, which is to win titles,” Simeone said. “We will give everything we have to achieve that.”

The former Argentina international also reflected on Atletico’s transformation during his time at the club. When he arrived, Atletico had not won La Liga since 1996. They claimed the title in 2014, 18 years later, before becoming champions again in 2021, only seven years after their previous success.

“The team must reduce these periods even more,” Simeone said.

He did not set a specific timeframe for how long he intends to remain at Atletico and stressed that he is not attempting to match the lengthy managerial reigns of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, which lasted 22 years, or Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, who spent 27 years at the club.

“I am thinking only about the energy, strength and humility that we need in order to be here,” he said.

Simeone described the challenge of competing in Spain as particularly difficult because Atletico are attempting to bridge the gap to two dominant clubs.

“We are at a club that competes with two superpowers (…) We are now in a special position, but the teams behind us want to compete with us,” he said.

“At Atletico, you must always be fully focused and at 110%, because 100% is not enough to win in Spain. You have to improve every day and not lose your humility, because the teams behind us are continuing to develop.”

The 55-year-old also left open the possibility of managing Argentina in the future, saying it could happen “later”.

He praised Argentina’s performance at the most recent World Cup and commended national team manager Lionel Scaloni, whose work he described as “huge”. Simeone nevertheless admitted that Spain were the better side in the final.

Asked whether he might one day take charge of Real Madrid or Barcelona, Simeone gave a brief and striking answer: “One of them is definitely impossible. As for the other, I don’t think so.”