Koke hopes Antoine Griezmann re-signs with Atletico Madrid and discusses what it’s like playing with a hero in Fernando Torres.
Torres returned to Atletico in 2015 and Koke told Al Primer Toque that lining up alongside El Nino is something of a dream come true.
“It’s spectacular. What he conveys in the locker room and on the pitch is amazing. I always try to learn from the best, and to play with one of your idols, someone you have followed since you were small, and to try and do what he has done, it’s spectacular,” the midfielder revealed, AS reports.
“I don’t know about other clubs at the moment but Atleti is special. It’s a family, everyone relies on everyone else. If someone needs something there’s a teammate or a director to help. What the club generates when travelling and all the people are supporting you and going to games, thousands of kilometres, is incredible.
“Torres not being in the Spain squad is for the Coach to decide. He started well, then he wasn’t in the team so much and then from the second half of the season to the end he’s been spectacular. The Coach picks the 23.
“But Fernando is satisfied with everything he has done with the national team and everything he has done at the clubs he’s been at, and with everything he is doing with Atleti.”
Koke is one of a few Atleti players in Vicente del Bosque’s 25-man preliminary squad for Euro 2016, and he spoke highly of his club colleagues – as well as Diego Costa, who missed the cut.
“Costa is spectacular. I’ve always said he’s an incredible player, but as I’ve said, it’s for the Coach. I wish all my teammates or those I’ve played with could go. The Coach decides, he’s the one who draws up the list,” Koke continued.
“Costa back to Atleti? You never know, this is football. Diego has a contract at Chelsea. This is football, and if he was to come it’d be for his contribution to the team. I haven’t had a chance to see him in London. He was happy at Atleti, scored a lot of goals.
“Juanfran and Saul [Niguez] have a lot of merit, as do I. It’s a great honour to be in the prelim squad, with so many good players in Spain. It’s incredible. We’ll try to have a good Euros, try to win it, and then Del Bosque will decide what he’s going to do. It’s the law of life.”
Griezmann will be turning out for France at the tournament and after an impressive season at club level, Koke admits he’s eager for the forward to agree a new contract.
“I hope he renews. I don’t know what’s happening right now but I hope he renews. It wouldn’t be just me but the whole group that would be happy,” he confirmed.
“He shows he’s one of the best in the world every day and every time he’s on the pitch. Sometimes he doesn’t have his best day and gets a goal, or gets two or three. He’s a great kid.”
