Emre Belozoglu has described his Atletico Madrid teammates as ‘like a family’ all playing for Coach Diego Simeone, ‘who is like a friend to us’.
The Turkish midfielder was talking to UEFA this week and began by reflecting on the strong start his side have made in the Europa League this term.
“I think we are close to qualifying from the group. We have nine points and we want to continue on this path,” he told the European body’s official website today.
“We face Academica away in our next match and I think we can beat them again. We are very strong tactically.
“Last year the club won the Europa League and we want to win it again this year. We have a great team and we are going well.
“If we can continue progressing, we can achieve our goals and hopefully finish a great season in Spain.”
Emre also reflected on how he is settling in to life at the Vicente Calderon this term.
“When I signed for this club, I saw there was a fantastic atmosphere in the squad – it's like a family. If one player plays and another doesn't, it isn't a problem.
“We are all working very hard under a fantastic Coach who is like a friend to us – that is a very important thing to have in a team.
“I am very happy here, especially after scoring for the first time in an Atletico shirt.”
