What is the balance of the season?
You always want to win and to win is to be champion. It’s not easy, because we live in a league with Real Madrid and Barcelona, and it’s very difficult to compete against them. It is very difficult for the two to give ground. There were two seasons where it happened and in two great years we were able to reach the goal of becoming champion. But this season is also a wake-up call, because they cut us too. Villarreal, Sevilla, Real Sociedad, Betis… they grow day by day, they play better and better, they have extraordinary footballers, very good coaches and this year we were very close to not making it. The match against Levante appeared, a very important meeting of the club with the coaching staff and footballers where the objective was made very clear and we all got together to get there. We were eleven points behind Sevilla, no one thought of being able to pass them, but we did it, because everything focused on something specific. When things focus on something concrete, the path is better.
It has been a year to learn.
This season leaves us many things. It was not easy, a tough season, difficult, we need to rest, because it was not easy from the beginning. And beyond the experiences of people who also hit you this year, it cost us. It would be great to be able to generate illusion, enthusiasm, reverse them… At a numerical level, it was done at the end of the season, coming out third and reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League, but after becoming champion it seems little. We ended up rounding off an important season, a good one, which leaves us in an always important place.
It is time to strengthen.
This season was not easy. It is not a problem to improve in positions, the situations to look for to balance the team are clear, but the team is there. There is very good internal competition, it was shown at the end of the season with ten victories, two draws and two defeats in the last 14 games with the championship and now what is most important is to form our structure well and generate what we always generate.
Can you develop that always seems little?
After becoming champion, it’s not easy to settle for third place and a good Champions League, because we want to win. But it is not easy. In the Champions League area we had Liverpool, fighting for the league until the end and finalist in the Champions League, Milan won the Italian league, Porto the Portuguese, it is true that United did not do well and then City, who won the league English. In our competition we have Madrid, who were champions in a great year, and Barça, who improved in the second round. The rebellion and drive of our footballers who were able to change the path that looked very bad leaves us excited. When the goal is focused and we all think of Atlético for everyone, it’s easier.