Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid winger rejected a 25% salary increase in the past, unhappy with club
Atletico Madrid’s 29-year-old winger Yannick Carrasco is unhappy with the team after they allegedly failed to keep their economic promises, reports Spanish publication MARCA.
The outlet claims that the player has told the people around him that the Rojiblancos have not fulfilled some major commitments regarding an improved contract offer.
The major thing to note here is that Carrasco has not signed a new contract since his permanent signing by Atletico in 2020 after a stint in China. Back then, the club offered the winger a contract till 2024.
Now, according to the aforementioned outlet, Atletico offered him an improvement of 25% net until 2024 after the 2020/21 season when he starred in the Colchoneros’ La Liga title-winning campaign.
The player too was eager to sign a new deal as it would have potentially been the final major deal of his career and he intended to commit himself to Atletico.
However, Carrasco rejected the offer made by the Rojiblancos as he did not deem it to be good enough. The proposal also included a bonus if the team qualified for the Champions League, which, in all fairness, was rather easy to achieve.
Carrasco, represented by Pini Zahavi, rejected the improved offer as he felt he deserved more. In short words, he was of the idea that he deserved a larger improvement that would take him on level terms with players like Koke and Saul Niguez.
And now that he feels that the Spanish giants are not keeping their promise, he wants to leave Atletico.
The Rojiblancos, for their part, are in desperate need of some cash and they would not stand in his way if the offer matches their €40 million valuation of the player.
Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid midfielder on the derby against Real Madrid: “Very difficult to beat them”
Following a 1-1 draw in their Champions League opener against Lazio, Atletico Madrid will shift all their attention to La Liga, as they brace themselves for the derby against Real Madrid this weekend.
Heading into this game, Atleti midfielder Marcos Llorente spoke about Real Madrid’s quality and Atletico Madrid’s chances of squeezing all three points from this iconic derby.
Llorente on Madrid derby
“The sensations are good. The team is very good, the other day we played a great game despite ending up drawing. I really think that the team did a great job that must be maintained for this match,” Llorente said in an interview with Diario AS.
When asked whether or not Real Madrid being tagged as favourites could aid Atleti, the midfielder said, “Honestly, it neither motivates me nor demotivates me. We simply have to do what we work on during the week, what the coach asks of us.”
Llorente stressed the importance of the game, adding, “It is a great rival we have in front of us, they are having a very good start to the season and that motivates me and everyone to try to play a good game.”
“Real Madrid is a great club, they have great players and it is very difficult to beat them. I think we have competed, we have also achieved several draws, but in the end, either you go out one hundred percent and do things very, very well or it is difficult to beat them,” he added.
A former member of the Real Madrid youth academy, Llorente joined Atletico Madrid in 2019. Since then, he has racked up over 150 competitive appearances for Los Colchoneros.
Llorente, though, said he feels no sense of vindication when he performs well against his former team.
“No. In the end, it’s been many years since I left there and I’m at Atlético. Perhaps in the first years, those types of feelings and sensations can arise, but today they no longer do,” he said.
Llorente on Vinicius, Koke & Bellingham
The Atletico Madrid star went on to talk about other aspects of the game, including the fact that his team had one less player every time they faced Real Madrid last season.
“I have zero worries. These are things that are not in our remit, that escape our hands. We play football, the referees referee and those who have to decide decide,” he said.
Llorente, in fact, said that the return of Koke could be a real boost for Atleti. “It is always good that Koke is with us, both on the field and in the day-to-day life of the game,” he said.
“Beyond the grass. The support he gives, the advice he gives us, his experience. it is always important to have him and it is great news that he is already training with us,” he added.
Talking about the absence of Vinicius Junior and the form of Jude Bellingham, Llorente said, “Well, you have to be careful with everyone. All Real Madrid players are very good and can make a difference at any moment of the game. Bellingham is having a great start and we have to take that into account and be very focused.”
Finally, Marcos Llorente put out a message for all the Atletico Madrid fans, claiming their support ahead of this crucial encounter this weekend.
“It will be a full house as always. We don’t have to tell them anything, they know the importance of this match for Atlético, we know that they never fail, they are always supporting us and we count on them,” he said.
