Fernando Torres spoke to the Spanish Daily, AS, about not getting distracted regarding coach Diego Simeone’s hint at leaving Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone had a contract at the Calderon until 2020 but has agreed to negotiations of reducing it to 2018. However, Simeone still remains the highest paid manager in La Liga.
At a promotional event, Torres was asked about life without Simeone in Atletico Madrid where he stated, “That’s purely hypothetical; let’s talk about realities. We’re only a month into the season and we’ve got a long year ahead of us. We don’t want to be distracted by what could happen in nine months or in a year. We won’t create our own obstacles”
Diego Simeone has led Atletico Madrid to two UEFA Champions League finals. Unfortunately, both of them were defeats in the hands of their biggest rivals Real Madrid.
Torres added, “Again, I don’t know if it’s true or not. What he said after Milan was tough for all of us to take. We all feel pain differently and when people express it publicly it’s understandable. Speaking from the heart should never be a bad thing. I’m delighted he’s stayed. He’s the foundation of this Atleti team.”
Diego Simeone was linked with a move away last summer
Simeone is regarded as one of the game’s top managers for his ‘Moneyball’ tactics and the achievements with the Rojiblancos. During the summer transfer window, Simeone was reportedly offered the role of gaffer from Paris Saint-Germain and former club Inter Milan. Arsenal also see the highly-rated Argentinian manager as the perfect candidate to take over at the Emirates after Arsene Wenger decides to retire.
Torres on Simeone’s current contract situation stated, “I only heard about it a short while ago when they told me you would ask about it. I can only talk about my situation, about this season and how I want to stay on for longer.”
Fernando Torres had fewer chances in the Atleti starting line-up this season with new signing Kevin Gameiro getting the nod ahead but he had all praise for his strike partner saying, “We’ve had some tough games against teams that have made things very difficult for us but we'll improve. He’s a player that knows how to score goals in LaLiga. He knows the league well and he shouldn’t worry. Gameiro will score goals. We all have trust in him.”
Torres also admitted to scoring more goals in hopes of penning down a new deal and said, “The competition among the players is strong but it’s what makes us a better team. My target is to earn a new contract by scoring goals. If you score goals you have a better chance of staying in the team.”
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