Koke has confirmed that he will “100 percent” stay at Atletico Madrid this summer after previously being tipped to replace Xavi Hernandez at Barcelona.
Reports earlier in the season suggested that La Blaugrana had identified the midfielder as the perfect replacement for the veteran, who looked set to join Qatari side Al Sadd at one point.
However, neither move has yet materialised, and the 23-year-old is ready to stay loyal to his boyhood team and help them launch another assault on all fronts next season.
“I’m glad for [Alvaro] Morata and [Fernando] Llorente [that Juventus reached the Champions League final],” he told AS.
“I played with Alvaro in Atletico’s youth teams for a long time, as well the lower levels of the national team and now the seniors. I’m happy for him.
“I’d like to have reached the semi-finals, of course, but [Real] Madrid are very strong at their place and it’s hard to get a great result there.
“Juve did very well and got one, but we’re stronger [for our failure] and we’ll try again next year with more force if possible.
“[I’m not happy that Real Madrid were knocked out] because I wanted two Spanish finalists. It didn’t happen, so we’ll have to do with Barcelona.
“We hope Barcelona aren’t crowned champions at our place. We have to finish third, so this question [of giving Barca a hand over Madrid] doesn’t apply.
“We all know [Lionel] Messi is the best player in the world, but it’ll be 11 against 11 [on Saturday] and all 11 of their starters are great.
“One player alone doesn’t make the difference, it’s all about the team.
“For me it was a pleasure to learn from [Xavi]. He’s a leader and it’s been special to share things with him as a player and even more as a person. I hope he does well.
“[I’ve decided 100 percent that] I’ll play here [next season]. I’ll give our season a nine if we finish third [in La Liga].
“In the Champions League and Copa del Rey, we got to the quarter and semi-finals. If we finish third then we’ll have achieved our objectives.
“[On the prospect of Filipe Luis returning in the summer], Filipe’s more than an ex-teammate. He’s a friend, so he’s welcome back anytime.
“[On the differences between Fernando Torres and Mario Mandzukic], Torres is a more powerful and quicker player, who can exploit space.
“Mandzukic’s a stronger player, who can open up space for teammates.”
