Diego Simeone admits Atletico Madrid are no longer ‘the people’s club’ because of their evolution both on and off the field.
The Argentine confessed that Atleti are now alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona as established powerhouses in the nation and he praised the club’s growth off the field in recent years.
“No, not anymore,” Simeone responded when asked by La Nacion if he still believed Atleti were the club of the people, as cited by Marca.
“Today we have an extraordinary stadium, next year we are going to open a sports city at the height of what the club deserves.
“Just now the club is growing in parallel to the growth of the team – the growth of the team was too fast and the club could not accompany it in some years before.
“But now, with a very good management, there is a stadium, great facilities, we can buy the likes of Thomas Lemar, or João Félix…”
Simeone also talked about the mass change in the squad over summer: “We have to be realistic, this is a moment of renewal.
“Important leaders left us and we must reinvest ourselves, we have to double down on our philosophy but any talk of titles next season is premature.”
