Atletico Madrid captain Gabi claims his team has now earned the respect of Saturday’s opponents Real Madrid.
Speaking to Cadena COPE ahead of the derby clash at the Santiago Bernabeu, the 31-year-old midfielder [pictured, left] even went as far as to say Los Blancos no longer look forward to playing against their cross-city rivals.
“Madrid respect us. They don’t like playing against us any longer because we pose them problems,” declared Gabi.
“Even so, our style is not going to change after so much success and the players here now will continue that.
“The best is yet to come and there is room for improvement. However, this game is very important for us because we can put some distance between ourselves and Madrid.
“It looks to me as if the players they have brought in have less experience. The one that caused us most danger when we played against them was Di Maria, who dictated the pace of the game.”
Asked about a possible call-up to the national team despite his advancing years, Gabi says he would welcome it.
“I can’t do anything else. I’m giving everything and winning titles.
“However, it’s the Coach who decides. But I would love it,” he admitted.
