Godín: "Guti? I was taught to be respectful, not arrogant"

Diego Godín responded to former Real Madrid midfielder Guti’s claim that no Atlético player would get into the current Real Madrid side after Atlético’s derby victory on Saturday. “Since I was little I’ve always been taught to be respectful, humble and not arrogant, above everything else. People can follow that advice or not, it’s up to them, but it would be nice if they would show us the same respect that we have for Guti and Real Madrid.”

Speaking about the game, Godín said: “I’m very happy [with the victory]. It’s a happy moment for what the points mean but more than that for what it means emotionally for the Atlético fans to beat Real Madrid.”

The Uruguay international also explained how Atlético have managed to turn the derby balance around in the past few season under Diego Simeone, after a 14-year run without a victory stretching from 1999 to 2013. “The mentality of the squad is a positive and winning one. We believe in what we are doing and that is what brings about the good results. The team did very well tactically and we worked hard. Antoine got us the goal and we kept it tight at the back as we have done recently. We congratulated him like that because of what it meant for him. It’s the fruit of the work the team puts in across the pitch, in every position. How derbies go now has changed completely. Since Cholo [Simeone] arrived there has been a change mentally, not just in the players but in the fans as well. We know what we are doing, defending hard and working hard, with a positive mind-set. Believing in ourselves gives us a sense of security and the results follow.”