Saul: Simeone will stay at Atletico Madrid for many years and I still have hope of returning to the Spanish team

The 30-year-old Spanish midfielder Saul accepted an exclusive interview with Radio Ser, during which he analyzed the reasons for leaving Atletico Madrid this summer and talked about his relationship with Diego Simeone.

Playing for Flamengo

"Playing at Maracana was special, but what surprised me the most was the passion of the fans for the game. Are Flamengo's fans better than Atletico's? Atletico is where my heart is and the two are different."

Reason for playing in Brazil

"I had been in contact with Trabzonspor, but Rio de Janeiro was more to me and me It was a better choice for my family."

Felipe Luis

"Felipe Luis (Flamengo coach and former Atletico Madrid teammate) was not the key factor: he sent me a photo of the training ground and then didn't reply to me."

Leaving Atletico Madrid

"Leaving Atletico Madrid was because I felt it was time. Love and many situations are no longer beautiful. This is not just my personal problem. I was going through a period where I didn't have many opportunities to play. In the last two seasons at Atletico, I was often playing, not playing, playing again... but if you look at my statistics, they were not bad. "

"I compared my data with other teammates and found that mine was better. But if you look at their performance throughout the season, they are better than me... Why does my performance always look negative? I'm not saying I'm better or worse. There is a kind of negative energy, and if I can't change this energy, then I can only take a step back. "

Simone

"At least Simeone has always been very direct to me. I had many arguments with Simeone, but they were always in person and we always respected each other. me They all work for the benefit of Atletico Madrid. I have no complaints against him, even though we disagree on a lot of things. "

"When he told me that I was not in his plans, I just thanked him and Simeone was surprised. Simeone lives in the moment, but if he finds at the end of the season that his message has not come through, he will leave. But it's not time yet. "

"Three years ago, in my first season back from Chelsea, I saw that Simeone was a little tired... but he still had the ability to convey a message. When he believes the information, he can convince others. I think Simeone will be at Atletico for many years, he has that kind of energy, why would he leave now? "

Director Berta

"I've always been honest, But others don't...and that's what really hurts me. Andrea Berta (sporting director) was not completely honest with me a lot of the time and I saw some evidence of that. "

If I receive an invitation from Atletico Madrid

"If Atletico Madrid is invited, of course I want to go back, but I don't think this will happen. Atletico is the club of my life, I've been there since I was 12 years old. Flamenco gave me unexpected love from day one. "

Spain

"To be honest... I still have hope, but the reality is that Spain has a very strong lineup. It is normal for De La Fuente to consider whether to introduce new players... If I were the national team coach, I would choose Rodri, Fabian and Pedri in the midfield. "