Simeone: Since The First Day I Got Here, I Kept Thinking About Getting Fired

Diego Simeone (Twitter @atletienglish)

JAKARTA - Diego Simeone welcomed Vicente del Bosque to Atletico Madrid's training ground. The Spaniard interviewed the Argentine about his coaching career at the Rojiblancos.

Despite being a fan favorite, both as a player and now as a coach, Simeone admits that he lives with the constant fear of possibly being expelled.

"The demands are very high and the players have to look at you as if it was the first training session," he said in an interview for El Pais.

9 años como entrenador del @Atleti. Hermosos momentos vividos, grandes desafíos por vivir.

ORGULLOSO Y AGRADECIDO.

9 years as head coach of Atleti. Have experienced some fantastic moments and great challenges still to come.

Proud and thankful.#AúpaAtleti pic.twitter.com/YfoDTJ740I

— Diego Pablo Simeone (@Simeone) December 23, 2020

"Since the day I arrived here, to which I've always wanted to return, I've lived thinking they could get rid of me."

Asked by Spain's World Cup-winning coach if he ever felt the point where he wanted to leave Atletico, Simeone admitted there were some difficult moments.

"One of the difficult moments was at the end of the Champions League final in Milan. The second was when we lost," he said.

"One in the 93rd minute and the other we got to the closest we could get to winning, on penalties."

After that final against Real Madrid, Simeone seemed to hint that he would leave. But afterward, he clarified that the words were taken out of context.

"It was misunderstood," he said.