Atletico Madrid captain Gabi has paid tribute to the club’s fans, insisting that the Vicente Calderon crowd are one of the few in football that can decide the outcome of a match.
The Rojiblancos face a critical couple of weeks. They will first travel to Camp Nou to take on Barcelona in a La Liga title decider on Saturday, before travelling to Lisbon to play arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Champions League final the following weekend.
Now, the 30-year-old has praised the contribution of supporters in helping the team reach their current heights and wants them to share in any success Atleti may achieve.
“It would be an honour for me,” Gabi is quoted as saying by Mundo Deportivo. “I would love it if, should it happen, any fan would be able to see themselves reflected in me as I stand on the podium.
“We need to enjoy our success with the people who have truly supported us all the way.
“At the moment everything is looking very good, but there have been some bad moments too and it is at those times that you notice the people who really support you.
“I think Diego Simeone is the main reason for our change in mentality. Not just in the players but in everyone. We all have one idea and one thought throughout the whole club.
“The fans are one of the few sets of fans who can spur their team on so much that it can be decisive.
“I think that we players on the pitch are having a historic year, but they are doing the same from the stands.”
