Following Atletico Madrid's loss in the Champions League Final to Real Madrid, Diego Simeone said he wanted to reflect on his future with the club.

"As I proceeded to the press room post game, I had to pass by the area where the Madrid squad were celebrating and I felt, and still feel pain. It suddenly dawned on me that a difficult year lay ahead and it would be complicated to be totally committed to the guys..."

Simeone was asked how he managed to overcome that situation.

"No, I didn't overcome it, I stated how I felt at the time and I wanted space to reflect. Is that wrong? If I'd wanted to move to another club, then I had 35 million reasons to go, 35 million reasons ! But in the end I didn't go because I didn't want to and I still don't want to. I still feel a strong sense of identity with the club and in what I do here on a day to day basis and have a massive attachment to the squad and feel that we are still 'raw recruits'."

Simeone reduced his contract from 2020 to 2018.

"I felt that was something best for me and the institution."

Simeone was asked how that benefits the club.

"How can I explain this… There was a contract improvement as nowadays clearly it's complicated for a football club to hang onto their manager for extended spells of time. Paying less in a shorter spell of time is less damaging."