French defender Clément Lenglet admitted he was “very proud” to have joined a “huge club” like Atlético de Madrid, where he arrives on loan from FC Barcelona, and where he hopes to grow “a lot” like “all the centre-backs who have passed through Diego Pablo Simeone’s hands”.
“I’m very proud. I know it’s a huge club, I’ve played against this team in the past and it’s always been a struggle to play against Atlético. Now I’m very proud and eager to help the team and contribute what I can to the club and my teammates,” said Lenglet at his official presentation at the Cívitas Metropolitano.
The defender was present at the Colchoneros’ home ground on Sunday to watch the 3-0 win over Girona FC and to see that the atmosphere was “crazy.” “You can see the excitement, the desire to contribute during the match, to help the team. It was a spectacular match on the part of the team, the club and the fans as well,” he said.
“I only had one training session this morning, but from what I saw during the match, Barrios had a spectacular game in line with what he did during the Olympic Games. I think it’s a pleasure for the club as well because he’s a home-grown player and he was key during the match,” added Lenglet when asked about the player who had impressed him the most.
The Frenchman is ready to be “a hard worker who tries to give his all to help the team and give 100 percent.” “I’m much better physically now and I think I can contribute a lot to achieving victories and helping the club,” he warned after a few years with some doubts and not being such a reference.
“Right now the priority is to perform on the pitch. I want to perform, be good during the games I have to play, help the team and then we will all talk about whether we need to do something different. At the moment I have a one-year loan and it will be a one hundred percent loan year to perform as best as possible,” added the centre-back.
He acknowledged that at Atlético “football is lived in a very special way, with a lot of passion, a lot of work.” “The important thing is to take a step forward every day. Then we will see where we are at the end of the season and if we can achieve important things, but for now we have to go step by step, win the games we have ahead of us and then we will see what happens in April or May,” he stressed regarding the collective objectives.
“I think that every team is really excited when the year starts and that it’s about performing every weekend or during the week to achieve important things. We’re not going to say things that aren’t true now, because the most important thing is the game on Wednesday and then we’ll have another game. So we’re going to take it step by step, fight to win the games and as I said before, we’ll see where we are in April, May, when things are decided,” continued the new red-and-white player.
Lenglet is happy to join a club “with greatness, a squad and a coach.” “We are in a very nice place to work, with competition and a coach who takes us to a higher level than the player is at the beginning, I am here for all those things,” he stressed.
In this sense, he made clear his “great enthusiasm” for working with Diego Pablo Simeone. “I think I can learn a lot. If we look at the past and right now, all the centre-backs who have been under his wing have grown a lot as players, so I am here to learn and take another step to help the team and myself,” said the defender.
CEREZO PRAISES THE “EXCEPTIONAL WORK” OF THE SPORTS MANAGEMENT
For his part, the president of Atlético de Madrid, Enrique Cerezo, celebrated that they are “completing the squad with seriousness and confidence, without getting nervous.” “Transfers, loans and signings are cooked over a slow fire. Negotiations can be closed quickly or take weeks or also fall through from one day to the next,” he pointed out, highlighting “the exceptional work” of the Sports Directorate that “has followed an impeccable roadmap to achieve the transfers, loans and arrivals that were planned.”
The manager believes that Lenglet “comes to significantly strengthen” the team’s defence and he was “sure that he will demonstrate his quality and the talent he has” in the Madrid team. “Clément, you already know what it is like to play in this stadium as a rival, how much our fans push and push to carry the team on their shoulders,” he reminded him.
“Yesterday, Sunday, from this very stadium, you were also able to witness the extraordinary atmosphere that exists here at the Metropolitano. The fans, the coaching staff, your teammates and all of us will help you to adapt quickly and help us achieve the exciting challenges that lie ahead,” concluded Cerezo.