Madrid (AFP) – Diego Simeone said Friday that he expects to discuss a deal to extend his Atletico Madrid contract as his team prepares for Saturday’s top-of-the-table La Liga clash with Barcelona.
Simeone’s current deal expires in June 2020 and the coach, who has won a La LIga title and two Europa League titles since joining Atleti in 2011, Simeone confirmed that he would hold talks the club’s chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin this season.
“At the last meal I had with Miguel, we spoke about lots of things other than that situation, but we did touch on the issue,” Simeone said on Friday.
“But there is still nothing (concrete). We have not talked about money, or how many years, or anything.
“But it is true that Miguel has proposed the idea that some time during the rest of the season we should come together to start talking about continuing together.”
As well as Simeone, Atletico will be keen to secure the future of Jan Oblak, the team´s star player alongside Antoine Griezmann.
Oblak´s current contract expires in 2021 but reportedly has a release clause set at 100 million euros, a sum unlikely to deter clubs interested in one of the world’s best goalkeepers.
“I know the club is working hard towards Jan staying with us,” Simeone said. “We have chatted with him this week and he is very clear about what he wants, what he needs.
“Obviously he knows that we also need him. He is a very important figure in the present and the future of this club.”
Atletico will leapfrog Barcelona if they win at the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday but have not beaten the reigning Spanish champions in the league since 2010.
“It has always been difficult for us against Barcelona, I believe Barcelona has been the best team in the world,” Simeone said.
“They have not had the consistency in Europe in the last few years that they have had in the league but their record in Spain is tremendous and it has cost us a lot. Tomorrow is a new opportunity.”
Atletico are likely to be without injured trio Diego Godin, Jose Gimenez and Juanfran this weekend but Koke, Thomas Lemar, Stefan Savic and Lucas Hernandez could all return.
from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/2TGsT5c
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