Diego Godin has revealed he stayed at Atletico Madrid this summer because of Diego Simeone, Enrique Cerezo and the supporters.
Godin confirmed in an interview with AS that he had the chance to leave Vicente Calderon following Atletico’s title victory but didn’t take it because of the bond he feels with the Coach, President and the club in general.
“From the first moment I got here I was told by the Press I had offers,” the Uruguay international revealed.
“I never knew anything. This year it’s true there were several enquiries but let me be very clear: with the confidence Cholo has in me and what he said about me, what the President and the fans have given me and the feeling I have for this club, it’s very difficult to leave here.
“It’s true that football is a job and you work to make money but when there are so many feelings involved it’s very difficult to change your team to earn a little bit more money.”
Atletico did suffer a number of departures, Filipe Luis and Diego Costa joining Chelsea and David Villa moving to New York City FC, but Godin added he didn’t begrudge any of his teammates deciding their own future.
“I respect all players and their decisions but that’s how I feel. I decided to stay and hopefully I’ll be here for many years,” he continued.
“The important thing is we kept the core of the team, which gives stability to the club. Now it looks normal but the hardest part is maintaining consistency.”
Godin has had an eventful career at Atletico, joining before Diego Simeone, and he pointed to the arrival of Cholo as a turning point for the club.
“I had many ups and downs at Atletico, achieving the best and the worst. We won trophies but lost games and missed the Champions League,” he recalled.
“With the arrival of Cholo we were stabilised and there have been significant trophies. That gives you everything.
“The line between winning and losing is very thin and wins give you prestige, stability and continuity. And it’s true my career at Atletico has gone from less to more.”
