Diego Simeone insists the Europa League ‘motivates’ Atletico Madrid just as much as the Champions League or any other trophy.
Los Rojiblancos take on Sporting CP in the first leg of their Europa League quarter final on Thursday night, with the Argentine excited at the chance of further glory.
“Every match motivates us and this is no different,” Simeone told reporters at his pre-match press conference, as cited by Marca.
“We have the chance of reaching a semi-final and for us there is no difference between a semi-final in this competition, or the Champions League, or the Copa del Rey – we want success.
“I’m focused on this team and we are trying to reinvent ourselves, and maybe we don’t have as many players as would be ideal but I trust every single one of them.
“Juanfran has returned for us and Sime Vrsaljko is not quite ready yet, the last game I played Stefan Savic, and I trust them all to death.
“Jorge Jesus is an excellent Coach for Sporting, he is very important for them and I am a fan of his character and how he plays his football.
“He attempts to use the collective value of his team to combat individual talents, and we saw that against Barcelona and Juventus this season.”
