Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke has called on his team to forget about Saturday’s Madrid derby defeat and move on with their season.
Los Rojiblancos crashed to a 3-0 home defeat to Real Madrid on a night that was not just difficult for the team but for the midfielder personally – he clashed on-the-pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo before also exchanging angry words with coach Diego Simeone late on in proceedings.
"We shouldn't look back now, we must keep moving forward," Koke said.
"We are very down, but we are sure we will rise back up as we have great players."
Koke’s position has also been the topic of much debate in the Spanish press, with former Atletico striker Kiko Narvaez writing in AS that the current side’s problems were about much more than just one player.
"I don't believe it is just about Koke's position," Kiko wrote.
"It is more a collective dip. Atletico need to get their big players back to their best. I have no doubt they will come back and be fighting for all the trophies until the end of the season.
“Simeone is addicted to challenges. He now must recover the sense of security within his team, and get back on the path of reliability and solidity."
