Atletico Madrid are already dreaming of reaching the Champions League final, their president says, after drawing Manchester City in the quarter-finals.
Atletico knocked out Manchester United in the last-16 thanks to a resilient defensive display at Old Trafford in the second leg. Their next game in the competition will be back in Manchester, but at the Etihad to face City after the quarter-final draw was made on Friday.
The winners of the quarter-final will face Chelsea or Real Madrid, potentially setting up a repeat of last season's final or a Madrid derby. And according to Atletico president Enrique Cerezo, the current La Liga champions are already plotting their semi-final and final ties.
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"We have good sensations," he said. "We come from Manchester, we return there and we will try to make another great game. Keep in mind that the draw is the draw. City have a great manager and a great team, but so do we.
"We have touched one of those that were. I would not like to face any of the Spaniards. See what was left. We have had a team that we are lucky enough to go to a city where we have already been and we know where we can go to eat, where we have dinner and the hotel.
"We are happy to reach the semi-final with Real Madrid. A final in Paris would be fantastic, but we will be halfway between one or the other. There are reasons to dream and to dream well.
"No team is easy but within everything, we know them, they know us. We have a lot of respect for each other. There is Simeone for a while. Why am I going to change the subject?"
Cerezo's confidence was echoed by Atletico captain Koke, who was also ready to dream, but offered a more balanced approach to their quarter-final and semi-final draws.
He said of City: "They have great players but we like challenges. The harder we get the better of us. We have not been bad. It's going to be a very even match and hopefully Atlético de Madrid will go through.
"We will have to analyze everything, but these games are decided in details but by playing as a team. This is how we got through the tie. We have to make two almost perfect games.
"We haven't talked about anything. We finished training and I came running. Anyone was going to be complicated, but we have had one of the great favourites. We are Atlético de Madrid, we are not going to let anyone win easily.
"There would be two Spanish teams in the semifinals and it would be nice. If both of us and Villarreal won, that would be a good sign. We are going to dream first of beating City.
"We go day by day and it is what we do. We are not going to change our philosophy. If we change it now, we are going wrong. I am young, I am 30 years old, although I have been a long time, but I have a lot to give. The day I can't give anymore, I'll quit. I have a lot of football.
"Now I go with the Spanish national team. I have a lot of football left with Atleti and the National Team. The Champions League is the title that remains for all of us. Why not dream?"
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