Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has joked that players who only have sex four times a month "can't play in my team".
Simeone has been in charge of Atletico since 2011, having also made 164 appearances for them as a player across two spells. The 53-year-old has experienced plenty of success as manager, winning two La Liga titles, two Europa Leagues and reaching the Champions League final on two occasions.
His side currently sit third in the league with just one game left and disappointingly crashed out of the Champions League in the group stages, having suffered defeats to Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge and Porto.
And ahead of Atletico's final game of the season against Villareal, Simeone gave a wide-ranging interview to Spanish radio program ' El Partidazo de COPE '. During the interview, Simeone was bizarrely asked about his sex life by host Joseba Larranaga who cited a study which claims the average Spaniard has sex 56 times a year.
"How many did you say? 56… 56 a year… How many is that a month? Four a month? Not four a month…" Simeone responded, before joking: "With four times a month you can't play in my team." And when asked to clarify his statement, Simeone added: "15 a month? I'm not going to say… but we have a good average."
The Argentine also insisted he remains fully committed to Atletico, having been repeatedly linked with a host of other high-profile jobs. "We have one more year on our contract and I'm focused on continuing to give my best," he said.
"At the moment the priority is not my contract, if we have to talk about it we will do it later when Miguel [Angel Gil, Atletico's CEO] believes that it is the most appropriate time. The priority is another." He also addressed Joao Felix's future at the club after Chelsea decided not to make his loan switch permanent.
"It is a lie to say that we did not play well because Joao Felix was there. And if he was now he would be playing well too," Simeone said. "I don't clash with him, I'm clear with him and I tell him what I feel. He knows what my coaching profile is and he knows that I like to train with a lot of happiness.
"He has enormous qualities, he hits well with his left foot, he heads well, with his right foot, and has vision of the game. He will be what he wants to be. I have no problem with anyone."
