Cerezo puts the Champions League at the heart of Atlético and Simeone’s ambition

“For Simeone and Atlético, all that remains is to win the Champions League,” Enrique Cerezo said. The Atlético de Madrid president spoke to media representatives in Germany on the eve of his team’s match against Stuttgart. He also answered reporters in Stuttgart.

Asked about Diego Pablo Simeone’s future, Cerezo emphasised what the coach had already achieved while identifying Europe’s major trophy as the ambition still outstanding. “Diego is a coach who has proved everything. He has won everything with us and, essentially, the only thing left for him — and for all of us — is to win the European Cup, the Champions League. That is what we are working towards today,” he said. His remarks explicitly linked the club’s objective with that of its coach, without presenting their future as a decision that had already been made.

Cerezo also voiced confidence in the squad. He described the team as a strong one, said it had found good momentum and expressed his belief that it could sustain it. In his view, the players are focused on their work and their aims. That assessment came alongside his call to have faith in both the team and its coach as the Stuttgart fixture approached.

The president also addressed tensions surrounding refereeing and called for them to be eased. “There should be no wars in football; problems need to be resolved. Everything revolves around referees; VAR should be removed so there are no problems with them,” he said. Cerezo acknowledged that Atlético had also complained about refereeing decisions, as others had, and added that referees can make mistakes when they do not see an incident.

With the match in Germany approaching, Cerezo’s message combined a clearly stated Champions League ambition with support for Simeone and the team’s current momentum.