Yahoo Sport 
BALAGUE EXCLUSIVE: Athletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo talks Simeone, and the rivalry with Real Madrid.
Yahoo Sport's Guillem Balague talks to Atletico Madrid president about the enigma that is Diego Simeone, and the fierce rivalry with Real.
Enrique Cerezo is the current Atletico Madrid president and, much like everyone else, contributes most of the modern day success down to Diego Simeone. “Right now, it’s experiencing a fantastic moment, possibly the best in its history. In the last few years we’ve achieved what everyone wanted: great triumphs, great titles and above all the chance to be one of the Top 5 sides in Europe.”
Diego Simeone and Cerezo’s relationship goes back over many years. While Simeone was a player at Atletico Madrid, Cerezo was first vice president and later president of the club – and now as a manager. “He’s a great friend, a great member of the team and he has a lot of influence on the club.” He fondly remembers the crowd chanting Simeone’s name after both occasions in which he left the club as a player. “The presence Diego Pablo Simeone has at Atletico is clear.”
It’s hard to find someone that is so universally loved by everyone at the club as well as the fans. He optimises everything that is good about the place – there is no one quite like Diego Simeone. Every person that’s had the pleasure of meeting him knows how lucky they are to have him at the club. It’s not often an ex-player returns as a manager and is as successful as Simeone has been. Yet, when that does happen, it creates a special atmosphere and bond between the coaching staff, players and fans.
“He is a great coach who has modernised things and has had good results – he lives for football. We’re delighted not just to have a personal friendship but the professional one that we have at the moment.”
Diego Simeone’s on-field performances instantly made him a cult hero but his success as a manager there has catapulted him to legend status. The way in which Atletico Madrid is something Simeone knows all too well. “It’s a perfect union. I think the fans of Atletico Madrid can identify themselves with Simeone and he can identify himself with the fans.” He knows what they expect and he won’t accept anything less from his players. Win, lose or draw you can see Simeone attempting to get the crowd to back his players and in turn the players to back the fans’ rallying cry.
Atletico Madrid were struggling when the call came for Diego Simeone to take over from Gregorio Manzano. A talented squad were struggling to establish any kind of form in the league and the fans had grown tired of uninspiring performances. Diego’s arrival felt special. “There was a person coming in that people were waiting for and who wanted to come – that is really important. It’s not the same if they call you and it catches you off-guard then if they call and you’re thinking now is the time to go [there].”
[WATCH EXCLUSIVE: Guillem Balague talks to Filipe Luis on Simeone, Mourinho and winning titles]
Enrique Cerezo has seen a lot of good & bad moments over his time at the club but his priority for the future is simple: keep Atletico Madrid in the top 5 sides in Europe. “At that point in time you can attach and put everything you want.” He’s referring to the fact if they consolidate their position amongst the elite that trophies will likely follow.
On the city rivalry between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, he believes it splits the city in half. Prior to Simeone’s reign the matches between the matches were seen as opportunities to get one over on their neighbour but not to rival them in terms of league position. “The rivalry always existed [even in the bad times]. It isn’t that one team wins every match which was the case in recent years with Real Madrid.”
There’s still one objective for Cerezo and Simeone to achieve and that is winning the Champions League. Twice they’ve reached the final and lost, but for Cerezo, he believes that it’ll be third time lucky for Atletico Madrid. “I hope that, very soon, we could be playing in another [Champions League] final and despite beign denied twice, we won’t be denied a third time.”
