Christophe Galtier angrily articulated his frustration about the latest Kylian Mbappe transfer speculation as the Paris Saint-Germain boss questioned why his point of view is never believed.

In his first season with PSG, Galtier has had to cope with reports and rumours of unrest within his squad, and this week saw newspaper claims from Spain that Mbappe is once again thinking about a future away from Paris.

That seemed improbable when the France striker signed a new contract in May, having been urged to do so by no less an authority than France's president, Emmanuel Macron.

The 23-year-old turned his back on a possible free transfer to Real Madrid, but he has at times appeared unhappy this season, and now there are suggestions he would welcome a move away from PSG as soon as January.

Galtier has already scoffed at such talk, and he has claimed Mbappe's focus is where it should be, on delivering results for the French champions.

Those results have tailed off at an unfortunate time, with a pair of Champions League draws against Benfica coming either side of a 0-0 stalemate with Ligue 1 strugglers Reims.

Ahead of Sunday's Classique against Marseille, Galtier was asked how he coped with the incessant news cycle, the focus on the team, and situations such as that with Mbappe.

"You have to have experience and be a certain age to be able to manage these things," he said, before launching into a tirade about media coverage.

"What I'd like to say is you never speak about football. You ask me lots of questions. I'm not talking about you individually, but you, the media.

"I've been here many times as the Paris Saint-Germain coach and I have a feeling that match after match, press conference after press conference, we have to speak for 10 or 15 minutes and for maybe one minute about football. It is topics away from football.

"Whatever I say to you, you don't believe me, because you write the opposite and you say the opposite. Whether it is the written press, the radio, television, you say the opposite of what I say.

"So when I say that this [player] is well, they get on well, they are serious, they are professional, they have solidarity, it interests nobody. Other things are written.

"I am not here to comment on rumours. To answer your question about Kylian Mbappe, there is a rumour that came out before the game [against Benfica on Tuesday]. He had the best answer. He was named man of the match. He played well, he put in a great performance and showed solidarity.

"As for what is happening away from that, you have the right to talk about other things, but when you ask me questions I answer honestly. I have lots of faults, but I am very honest. When I say it, it is true. But when I say those things, nothing is written in the press, and you often see the opposite anyway.

"So to answer about Kylian Mbappe, have I spoken to him regarding the rumour, no.

"I am very proud to be the coach of Paris Saint-Germain and to be in charge of these players. Please, write that and let's talk about football."

Talking about football does not always make for comfortable reading either. Galtier has won just four of his 25 encounters as a coach against Marseille in Ligue 1 (D10 L11), a 16 per cent win-rate, and he only has a worse such ratio against Auxerre (D4 L1 in 5 games).

Previous clashes have been during his time in charge of Saint-Etienne, Lille and Nice, however.

As PSG boss, the expectations are different, and the leaders will be expected to get the better of a side who sit third heading into the weekend.

Galtier said PSG have been in a "very intense" spell of games, but he recognised the same applies for Marseille, who are also involved in the Champions League.

Sergio Ramos misses out through suspension this week after his red card against Reims, but Lionel Messi should be back from a calf injury.

Messi trained on Friday and barring any problems on Saturday he will be in Galtier's squad.

"It's the match that everyone looks forward to in the French league," said Galtier. "When I wasn't the Paris Saint-Germain coach, I was always excited to watch it. It is the Classique. Everybody is excited about it."

Galtier, who hails from Marseille, was adamant the vibe in the PSG dressing room is one of unity rather than division.

"Of course we don't all kiss each other every day, but things are going much better than elsewhere," he said.

"It is going much better than you might write or imagine. Kylian Mbappe is doing very well."

Barcelona will wear a limited-edition jersey donning the logo of rapper and singer Drake during Sunday's El Clasico against Real Madrid.

The idea stems from Barca's relationship with audio streaming subscription service Spotify, whose branding usually appears on the front of the Blaugrana's shirts and who own the naming rights to Camp Nou.

But rather than Spotify branding on jerseys this weekend, Barca will instead sport Drake's 'OVO Sound' logo – essentially the silhouette of an owl.

It is a move designed to celebrate Drake becoming the first artist to break the 50 billion streams barrier on Spotify.

The four-time Grammy winner's achievement was not recent, however, with the Canadian reaching the 50 billion mark in January 2021.

In addition to his logo featuring on Barca jerseys throughout the game, Xavi's team will also wear a special version during their warm-up, with 'DRAKE 50' on the back – the usual Spotify brand will appear on the front of this shirt.

Barcelona travel to the Santiago Bernabeu as LaLiga leaders, but they are only ahead of bitter rivals Madrid on goal difference after both teams won seven and drew the other in their first eight games of the season.

Joao Felix is increasingly frustrated with life at Atletico Madrid after dropping out of the starting XI in recent games.

The 22-year-old Portuguese is yet to score for the side in LaLiga or the Champions League this season and was an unused substitute in the midweek 0-0 draw with Club Brugge.

Atleti boss Diego Simeone has preferred Antoine Griezmann, Alvaro Morata, Matheus Cunha and Angel Correa in attack recently.

TOP STORY – JOAO FELIX WANTS ATLETICO EXIT

Joao Felix has requested to leave Atletico Madrid in January, reports Fichajes.

The forward is frustrated that he has been used sparingly, largely outside the starting XI this term.

Joao Felix's contract runs until 2026 and it will likely require a hefty fee to sign him from Atleti, who paid €126 million for him in 2019.

Relevo claims that Atleti are not considering selling the Portuguese any time soon.

ROUND-UP

– ​ Frenkie de Jong is growing frustrated at his lack of first-team opportunities at Barcelona and will look to exit the club in January should the situation not improve, claims SPORT. De Jong was at the centre of a drawn-out off-season saga, amid links to Manchester United.

– Granit Xhaka will earn a contract extension at Arsenal, reports Football Insider. Xhaka, who is out of contract in 2024, has been in top form this term and will be rewarded after the World Cup.

– Chelsea have an interest in RB Leipzig's Austria international midfielder Konrad Laimer, reports Bild. Laimer is out of contract at the end of this season and the Blues will look to sign him for free if he is not sold in January.

– Chelsea along with Arsenal are now also keen on pursuing Rennes winger Jeremy Doku, claims Fichajes. The 20-year-old is already being chased by Liverpool, Napoli and Juventus.

– Bild also claims Chelsea are monitoring versatile Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard.

– The Telegraph reports Thomas Tuchel is interested in the England managerial role should Gareth Southgate depart after this year's World Cup. The German has reportedly declined two Premier League jobs since leaving Chelsea last month.

Defending champions Kingston College and finalists Jamaica College were both in fine goalscoring form as action continued in the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup this week.

KC remained perfect after seven games in Group A with an 8-0 thumping of Waterford at Stadium East on Monday. 22-time champions St. George’s College are three points behind their North Street rivals after a 2-1 win over Calabar at Winchester Park while Meadowbrook and Ardenne played out a 1-1 draw at the Constant Spring Field in the other game.

On Tuesday, Jamaica College put nine past Holy Trinity without conceding at home to move to 19 points from seven games to lead Group B. Second-placed St. Catherine, the defending Walker Cup champions, suffered a setback with a 1-2 loss to third-placed St. Jago at the Spanish Town Prison Oval to remain on 16 points after their seven games. St. Jago trail them by four points in third. Cedar Grove beat St. Mary’s College 2-0 at home in the group’s other game.

Also on Tuesday, Charlie Smith and Haile Selassie both secured wins to stretch the gap between themselves and the rest of Group C. Leaders Charlie Smith got by Edith Dalton James 2-1 at Edith Dalton to move to 20 points from their eight games. Haile Selassie got a crucial 1-0 win over Tivoli at home to move to 17 points from their eight games. Their opponents are third with 10 points but have a game in hand over the top two. Bridgeport are two points behind Tivoli in fourth after a 2-1 win over Vauxhall at Dunbeholden.

In Group D play on Saturday, leaders STATHS and second-placed Jonathan Grant played out a 3-3 draw in a top-of-the-table clash at Jonathan Grant. STATHS still leads the group with 18 points from eight games while Jonathan Grant are just a point behind while having played one less game. Norman Manley have also played seven games and are four points behind Jonathan Grant in third after a 3-0 win over Spanish Town at Maxfield Park. Tarrant beat Dunoon 5-0 at Excelsior in the other game.

Mona now has 24 points out of a possible 24 to lead Group E after securing a 1-0 win over Wolmer’s Boys at home on Tuesday. Wolmer’s remain second in the group on 15 points from their eight games. Hydel missed out on a chance to leapfrog Wolmer’s and are now within a point of them in third after a 0-0 draw with Camperdown at Royal Lakes. Papine won the battle of the two bottom teams in the group 2-0 over Kingston High at Papine.

Excelsior and Campion College continue to set the pace in Group F after home wins over Clan Carthy and Cumberland, respectively. Excelsior won 2-0 to move to 20 points from eight matches while Campion College were 4-0 winners to move to 16 points from their eight games. Kingston Technical beat Jose Marti 1-0 to join their opponents on 11 points.

Barcelona defender Jules Kounde has returned to training in a huge fitness boost for Xavi's side ahead of this weekend's showdown with Real Madrid

The 23-year-old has not played for Barca since their 3-0 win over Elche on September 17 after sustaining a thigh injury while on international duty with France.

Barca did not give a timeline for Kounde's comeback, but head coach Xavi indicated earlier this week the centre-back had a chance of featuring against Madrid on Sunday.

And the former Sevilla man was involved in training at Ciutat Esportiva on Thursday to somewhat ease the Catalan giants' injury issues.

As well as being without Kounde, who has started five times for Barca since being officially registered in late August, the likes of Memphis Depay, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin and Ronald Araujo have also been sidelined.

Xavi's side drew 3-3 draw with Inter on Wednesday to leave their Champions League hopes hanging by a threat, but they are level on points with Madrid at the LaLiga summit after winning seven league games in a row, keeping a clean sheet in six of those.

Munro College handed STETHS their first loss of the season in the ISSA/Digicel daCosta Cup on Tuesday.

In the game played at Munro, the hosts got a vital 1-0 win over the Zone E leaders to move to 16 points from nine games, eight points adrift of the five-time champions and level on points with second placed B.B Coke who beat Maggotty 2-0 at STETHS. Lacovia beat Sydney Pagon 1-0 at home in Tuesday’s other zone game.

A Zone A double-header at Cornwall College saw the hosts and Irwin High come out as winners over St. James High and Anchovy, respectively.

Irwin secured a 5-1 win over Anchovy to move to 21 points from their nine games to lead the zone by six points ahead of Cornwall who stretched the gap between them and third-placed Green Pond to four points with a crucial 1-0 win over St. James. Green Pond and Maldon played out a 0-0 draw at Green Pond in the other game.

In Zone B, Frome remained perfect after seven games with a 3-1 home win over Green Island on Wednesday. Hopewell and Merlene Ottey played out a 2-2 draw at the Orchard Sports Complex in the zone’s other Wednesday game whereas on Monday, Rusea’s beat Green Island 2-1 at home to move to 18 points from seven games, trailing the leaders by three points.

William Knibb hammered Cedric Titus 6-0 in a Zone C top-of-the-table clash at William Knibb on Wednesday. Entering the game, both teams had 16 points from six games but now William Knibb have 19. Spot Valley are third in the zone with eight points after a 4-0 away win over Muschett.

In a clash of the top two teams in Zone D, Manning’s and Petersfield played out a 1-1 draw at Petersfield. Manning’s now have 23 points from their nine games while Petersfield trail them by seven while playing one less game. Godfrey Stewart moved to 12 points from nine games in third thanks to a 4-1 win over Grange Hill while Belmont Academy lost 0-1 away to Black River in the other game.

Zone F may be the most evenly poised in the first round as three teams have 19 points. Manchester leads the zone with 19 points from eight games with a goal difference of 23 after a 7-0 win over May Day at Kirkvine. They also beat May Day 8-0 at May Day on Monday. DeCarteret College and Belair are the other two teams with 19 points and have goal differences of 15 and 12, respectively. They played out a 0-0 draw at Belair on Wednesday. Both DeCarteret College and Belair have played one more match than Manchester. Wednesday’s other match saw Bellefield and Mt. St. Joseph play out a 2-2 draw at Bellefield.

Christiana and Mile Gully both moved within three points of leaders Holmwood in Zone G after a 0-0 draw at Christiana. They both have 11 points from six and seven matches, respectively. Mile Gully trail Christiana by three on goal difference.

Clarendon College have seven wins from as many games after an 8-0 hammering of Thompson Town at Turner’s Oval on Wednesday to lead Zone H. In the day’s other game, Lennon High moved to 13 points after eight games with a 1-0 win over Kellits High at Morant Housing Scheme. Also at the Morant Housing Scheme, Edwin Allen beat Kellits 4-1 on Monday to move within seven points of Clarendon College. They’ve also played seven games.

York Castle moved eight points clear in Zone I after a 2-0 win over Oracabessa at Clemhard’s Park on Monday. They now have 19 points from seven games. Browns Town beat Marcus Garvey 2-0 at home to second in the zone.

Paul Bogle rebounded from back-to-back losses with a 3-2 home win over Morant Bay to remain at the top of Zone L with 21 points from nine games. Yallahs have played the same number of games as Paul Bogle and moved within four points of the leaders with a 2-1 win over St. Thomas Tech at the Eastern Banana Complex.

Glenmuir got their fifth win in as many games to move to the top of Zone M. They beat Old Harbour 5-0 at home to move level on points with Central High who have played one more match and trail them by 11 on goal difference. Denbigh hammered Tacius Golding 8-0 at home in the zone’s other match on the day.

Zone N’s top two teams, defending champions Garvey Maceo and Vere, both were in the win column once again. Garvey Maceo moved to 19 points from seven games after a 2-1 win over Foga Road at Foga Road while Vere moved to 13 points from their seven outings after claiming a 3-1 away win over Kemps Hill.

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes is stepping away from day-to-day activity with the Women's Super League team after undergoing an emergency hysterectomy, she has announced.

The Blues boss has suffered with endometriosis and will take a recovery period as she looks to return to full health before resuming her Chelsea duties.

In a statement, Hayes said assistants Denise Reddy and Paul Green would take temporary charge.

Hayes said: "Last Tuesday I underwent an emergency hysterectomy following my ongoing battle with endometriosis. I'm now in recovery and will need time and patience to return to full health.

"We have built a tremendous team over many years, and we've adopted a very multi-disciplinary approach so that if situations like this arise, we are capable of being able to respond to the challenge

"We have full confidence in Paul, Denise and all of the staff. We also know the team are very special, and we have no doubt they'll do everything to maintain their high standards.

"To our fans, you've had to listen to me bellowing from the other side of the pitch every week, but now I want to hear you even louder because I'll be sitting at home watching the team on the television until my return.

"I know you'll respect that my health comes first and at this time I've got to prioritise what I need to do for me. I fully expect to make a full recovery and I look forward to seeing you in the foreseeable future."

Defending WSL champions Chelsea beat West Ham in their last game and sit fourth in the table in the early stages of the season. They face Everton this weekend before kicking off their Women's Champions League campaign against Paris Saint-Germain on October 20.

Hayes, 45, has been manager of Chelsea since August 2012, leading the team to five WSL titles in that time. She was winner of FIFA's The Best Women's Coach for 2021, receiving that award in January of this year.

Reims became the fourth Ligue 1 club since Sunday to ditch their head coach when Oscar Garcia was ousted – to be replaced by former video gamer William Still.

Just one win in 10 games in the French top flight cost Garcia, with assistant Still stepping up to become interim boss.

It represents the latest remarkable step in the career of Still, who turns 30 on Friday.

Still was obsessed with the Football Manager and Championship Manager series as a teenager and has said such games gave him the "impetus" to go into coaching as a profession, without having played any football at a full-time level.

He told Sport Bible in May: "I wanted to be able to talk to players. I wanted to have that relationship. I mean, I was alright at football but FM allowed me to have that glimpse of what it actually was like to manage a team.

"I actually think people that play Football Manager understand the game a bit more. You've got to go into a lot of detail to actually win things and be successful in the game, especially nowadays with it becoming more and more complicated."

Still took a degree at Myerscough College in Preston, England, going on to work with Preston's under-14 team before moving to Belgium, where his parents lived, and finding work with Sint-Truiden, Lierse and Beerschot.

Still is in a second stint with Reims, having briefly left to be assistant boss of Standard Liege. He has spoken of ambitions to manage in the Premier League and Champions League.

Reims announced he would take over for now in a statement that read: "In view of results below the expected objectives and in order to protect the best interests of the institution, Stade de Reims announces the temporary suspension of Oscar Garcia. The interim will be provided by William Still, current assistant coach."

Garcia is not expected to return to the role he held for 16 months, with Reims reportedly beginning their search for a permanent successor.

Reims have drawn five games this season, so Still is not stepping into the spotlight amid a full-blown crisis, with the team sitting 15th in Ligue 1, albeit just two points above bottom side Brest. They play Lorient in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Lyon set the ball rolling for sackings when Peter Bosz was dismissed on Sunday and Laurent Blanc named as his successor. Brest and Auxerre announced the departure of their coaches, Michel Der Zakarian and Jean-Marc Furlan, on Tuesday.

Oliver Kahn says Bayern Munich "absolutely have to stop" allowing opposing teams back into games after they nearly squandered another lead in the 4-2 Champions League win at Viktoria Plzen.

Goals from Sadio Mane and Thomas Muller, as well as a Leon Goretzka double had Bayern four goals up and cruising at half-time against the Czech champions.

But two second-half strikes from Plzen led to worries Bayern would let another advantage slip, after conceding a 95th-minute Anthony Modeste equaliser in the 2-2 Bundesliga draw with Borussia Dortmund at the weekend having led 2-0.

Julian Nagelsmann's side held on this time for three points to secure their place in the knockout stages, but Bayern CEO Kahn remains worried over their ability to see out games.

"Four games, four wins and into the round of 16," Kahn posted on Twitter. "A compliment to the team, in this group that was not a matter of course.

"After a furious first half, we let the opponent come back into the game.

"We absolutely have to stop this!"

Real Madrid had a drawn-out pursuit of Kylian Mbappe earlier this year but ultimately missed out on the France forward.

Mbappe opted to sign a lucrative contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain in May, tying him to the Parisians until 2025.

But earlier this week, Fabrizio Romano reported the situation between PSG and Mbappe had got tense, with the player keen to depart.

TOP STORY – MADRID MOVE ON FROM MBAPPE AMID TRANSFER TWIST

Marca claims that Real Madrid are no longer have interest in signing Mbappe amid reports that he is unsettled at PSG and wants to leave.

The report claims that Los Blancos are observing the situation from afar with no desire to participate in the latest drama.

Romano also said PSG had no intention of selling Mbappe in January amid the speculation he wanted out. PSG director Luis Campos denied the report on Tuesday.

ROUND-UP

– Bayern Munich will turn to Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram should they fail to land Tottenham's Harry Kane , reports TZ. Thuram's Gladbach deal ends at the end of this season.

– Sky Sport's Florian Plettenberg reports that Toni Kroos and Real Madrid are set to commence talks on a new deal running until 2024, with his currently deal expiring at season's end.

– Barcelona will try to lure Chelsea pair N'Golo Kante and Jorginho to Camp Nou as free agents at the end of this season, claims the Evening Standard. The Blues are currently trying to convince both to re-sign.

– 90min claims Manchester City have told Bayern Munich and Inter that defender Nathan Ake is not for sale in January, following speculation about their interest.

– West Ham have joined Roma and Manchester United in pursuing a deal for Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi, according to Calciomercato.

– Football Insider reports Brentford have commenced discussions with England international striker Ivan Toney on a new deal, with Tottenham linked to him.

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is hopeful Jamaica international Leon Bailey will be available for Sunday’s clash against Chelsea.  The 25-year-old forward, who has been plagued by his fair share of injuries since moving to the club, missed the team’s encounter against Nottingham Forest on Monday.

The result put more pressure on Gerrard as the team struggled to break down a resolute Forrest backline.  Bailey, who has started in 6 of the team’s 8 games, has only scored once but has more successful dribbles in the 18-yard box than any other Villa player and has also delivered the most crosses (19).

The Jamaican has, however, since returned to training and Gerrard is hopeful the player will be able to return to the line-up to give the team a needed boost for what is expected to be a difficult fixture.

“Hopefully. He was out on training pitch running at 70, 80 per cent yesterday so hopefully, with no reaction, we can push him and get him available,” Gerrard said.

The coach also hinted that there could also be several changes in the team’s line-up ahead of the encounter.

“There could be a few changes in the team. It could be pretty quick.”

Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti hailed the atmosphere at the sold-out Stadio Maradona as his side fought past Ajax 4-2 to secure their place in the Champions League knockout stages.

Goals from Hirving Lozano, Giacomo Raspadori, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Victor Osimhen saw Napoli continue their unbeaten campaign in Group A in front of a raucous home crowd.

It was a result that secured a place in the last 16 with two matches to spare.
 
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Spalletti said about the home support: "On evenings like this, you are swept along by the atmosphere. At one point, I felt dizzy and thought I could see stars going around my head.

"This qualification is down to the lads and I am fortunate to be working with a group like this. The entire city is proud of them, a city that pushed us on with the right motivation."

With another four goals tonight, the Partenopei have further demonstrated their goalscoring capabilities. 

They have now scored 17 goals in the group stages, representing the most ever by an Italian side in the group stages of the competition.

When asked about the tactics behind his free-scoring side, Spalletti said: "Systems no longer exist in football, it’s all about the spaces left by the opposition. 

"You must be quick to spot them and know the right moment to strike, have the courage to start the move even when pressed," he added.

Lozano, whose header in the third minute opened the scoring, was Napoli's ninth different goalscorer in the Champions League this season. 

And Napoli's final goal, scored by the returning Osimhen, was the their 10th, the most of any side in this season's competition.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Lozano said: "It was a great game, I think the whole team did a good job.

"I am very happy with the victory and my goal. We are all pleased to enter the history books. It was very difficult against a strong side like Ajax.

"We continue to work game after game to keep improving."

Napoli's next fixture is home to Rangers as they look to maintain their unbeaten group stage record and secure the top spot in Group A.

Son Heung-min scored twice as Tottenham climbed to the Group D summit with a 3-2 victory over 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.

Antonio Conte's side fell behind to Daichi Kamada at an emotional Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Spurs were playing their first home match since the death of former fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone.

But the hosts responded with Son netting either side of a Harry Kane penalty and ran out victors despite late drama that saw Faride Alidou pull one back and Kane miss a second penalty against the Europa League champions, who earlier had Tuta sent off for two bookable offences.

Tottenham move top of Group D following Marseille's victory over Sporting CP, while Eintracht slip to the bottom of the pool.

Eintracht had won on their two previous visits to London and took a 14th-minute lead when Christopher Lenz robbed Dier of possession inside the Tottenham penalty area, before Kamada slotted Sebastian Rode's lay-off into an empty net.

Spurs levelled six minutes later when Kane's perfectly timed throughball released Son, who calmly slid home past Kevin Trapp.

Kane completed the turnaround from the penalty spot after VAR ruled Kristijan Jakic felled the England captain in the box.

Son then established breathing space for the hosts with his second goal as he emphatically volleyed home Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's pinpoint cross

It took sharp reflexes from Trapp to prevent Son, Cristian Romero and Ryan Sessegnon from increasing Tottenham's advantage, before the visitors' misery was compounded on the hour mark when Tuta was shown a second yellow card in as many minutes. 

Despite Alidou ensuring a nervy finish when he headed in Mario Gotze’s corner, before Kane fired over a stoppage-time penalty, Spurs held out to move top of the group.

The technical staff of Jamaica’s Senior Women’s football team have signed one-year contracts with the Jamaica Football Federation.

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo says the club have "no interest" in a move for Kylian Mbappe amid reports the World Cup-winning forward wants to leave Paris Saint-Germain.

Europe's top clubs have been put on alert by reports Mbappe is seeking a PSG exit just five months after he penned a bumper three-year contract extension with the club.

Mbappe is reportedly unhappy with his role in Christophe Galtier's team, while it has also been suggested he feels the club have broken promises they made when he signed his new deal.

But the France international will not find an exit route in Atletico, with Cerezo stating on Tuesday: "We have no interest in him, even if he'd have a place in every team."

Meanwhile, despite Atletico struggling to compete with the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, Cerezo moved to defend head coach Diego Simeone, saying: "God willing, Cholo will be our coach for a long time." 

With Atletico six points off the pace in LaLiga and struggling to evolve their style of play under Simeone, some have questioned the position of the long-serving Colchoneros boss.

Cerezo, however, remains steadfast in his support of Simeone, adding: "All seasons are not the same, he has had 10 magnificent seasons and he will finish this one magnificently well. 

"I do not see the end of his stage. The confidence he has from the team and from us is enough for him to not think he has to go because journalists say so. God willing, Cholo will be our coach for a long time."

Cerezo was also asked about Joao Felix, who has yet to score in eight league appearances for Atletico this season, and reaffirmed his belief the Portugal international would soon show his quality.

"He's a terrific player and he has yet to really show what he is, but in time he will show it," Cerezo said. "We don't fear anything, he's an Atletico player, a magnificent player with a very long contract. 

"We're delighted with him, and we have to keep in mind that there are people who adapt right away and others who take longer, but I think he'll succeed here with the quality he has."