Simeone says Atletico’s rise has raised the bar

Diego Simeone says Atletico Madrid's improvement has made life harder, because success now brings heavier demands. The 55-year-old told L'Équipe he still sees a route to trophies, but says the club can no longer settle for a single strong season.

Bigger expectations at Atletico

Simeone said he now feels the burden of managing a club that is more visible and under greater scrutiny than when he arrived 15 years ago. He pointed to last season, when Atletico reached the Champions League semi-finals, lost the Copa del Rey on penalties and finished fourth in La Liga, as proof of how difficult the standard has become.

He said Atletico must aim for the Champions League final, win the cup and finish in the top two in a league still dominated by Real Madrid and Barcelona. Simeone added that the club should keep shortening the gaps between major trophies, having won La Liga in 2014 and again in 2021.

No target on length of stay

The Argentine coach also dismissed any interest in matching the long spells of Arsène Wenger at Arsenal or Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He said only energy, strength and humility matter if he is to keep going at Atletico.