Atletico Madrid manager, Diego Simeone has reacted to the transfer of his former goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, from Chelsea to Real Madrid.
Simeone said the Belgian goalie will still be remembered fondly at Atletico Madrid despite his move to city rivals.
Real Madrid signed Courtois for £35million from Chelsea last week, ending months of uncertainty over the player’s future.
The Belgium international opted to return to Spain to be closer to his two children, who have spent the last three years in Madrid.
Courtois’ move to Real Madrid has gone down badly with Atletico Madrid fans.
Some Atletico fans are even planning to bombard Courtois with rants when the two teams meet in the European Super Cup on Wednesday.
But Simeone insists that the player’s achievements still make him a club great.
Express Sports quoted the Atletico Madrid boss as saying, “He played for us and did very well.
“He has his thoughts and we must respect everyone.
“That will not change, even with a rivalry.”
The Argentine gaffer also said that his club will take time during this term to gel, after signing the likes of Thomas Lemar, Nikola Kalinic and Gelson Martins.
Simeone added, “We have a new group, with a lot of players who just arrived and need to integrate. This takes time. “I don’t believe that we can talk about a very good squad through names.
“Some important players have left too and some need to take a step forward.
“The people who worked well for us are remembered well.”
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