He says they value his work despite their clubs' rivalry - Simeone: "Lots of Real Madrid fans have congratulated me"

"Beyond what happens during a football match, a lot of Real fans have congratulated me and value my hard work. That helps me to continue progressing and improving", Simeone told 'Clarín' newspaper in an interview ahead of this weekend's derby.

Fans: "People identified themselves with our hard work, our commitment, how we faced our difficulties and kept going through tough times. They could see similarities between Atlético and Maradona's Napoli, a humble side competing against the likes of Inter, Milan and Juventus. We're a small-time team and that makes us likeable".

Competitive: "I don't work for people's recognition. I'm not obsessed with being liked. I play to win, I look to be competitive and I get really caught up in a player's development".

Atlético: "It's a brand. It was the first club I won silverware with as a player (La Liga and the Spanish Cup in 1996), and in Europe as a coach. It has a privileged place in my life because I'm part of its history. I joined a great squad at Atlético and that favoured our joint development: the players, the club, all of us".

The season: "Thinking about winning the league was impossible when we arrived. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the two teams that fight it out for the top spot. One of them might have an off season, but for both of them to have an off season is difficult. We had an unbelievable season last year".