Simeone: "We need a full Calderon"

Valencia was the first team to beat Atletico in the league this year, Simeone said that "the players are still the same and the characteristics of the players the same. They have improved in terms of results and obviously they’re fighting to get in to the positions they deserve to be for the squad they’ve got. We expect a team that plays well, that are in my opinion one of the best squads in the Spanish league."

Regarding the milestone of reaching 50 wins with Atletico Madrid, he said. "We can not change our approach of playing game by game, it makes us stronger. It doesn’t tie us to a numerical target. We focus on trying to improve, trying to play every game as if it were our last. And that's the way we go," he said.

 The coach hopes to have the best possible environment for an important game against Valencia. "I imagine stadium full, against a major rival and a great team, with very important players in almost all areas of the field and good from set pieces. There will be two teams with intentions, ours to stay where we are and theirs to break into the top spots of the League. It will be an entertaining match," he said.

El Cholo belives there still a lot to play for in theLeague despite his team having 60 points. "There are 30 points remaining. We change our ways. The Spanish Championship is long and last year I said that it is a marathon, all teams go through difficult times and you must get up quickly after each games. There are teams in the league who have bad spells and then they recovered. We must consider that every game is important and worth three points. That will lead us to the goal that is closer," he said.

It will be an important weekend because other games may also decide things
As to whether he despairs seeing Barcelona so far ahead in La Liga in a season as good Atletico's, Simeone said "no, because the reality is the have a budget much bigger than ours. Our reality is what we can give. When you look at the Champions League and see Barcelona and Real Madrid with results that we all believed would be difficult and they turned it around, with our tools we’re trying to be between these two. We try to be stronger and stronger and we can in to these last 10 game with no aspiration to move away from going match by match."

Regarding the fans, he acknowledges that they think in a different way to the players and coaching staff regarding the great season that the team is having. "They are the fans and it is normal to look at the league table and the points total. We’re working in this daily and we believe e can have a good game and with the stadium full, we need it," he said.

 On the final stretch of the season, Simeone said "the excitement is best for these last 10 games. It's what wakes you up as you close in on the goal and the illusion of being able to finish the season in the best way possible. All the good we are doing is more important if we finish well."

Finally, he was emphatic in pointing out whether Manquillo will play for the suspended Juanfran: "Yes".