Arda taking Atlético's achievements in his stride
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
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Club Atlético de Madrid may have booked their place in the last 16, but playmaker Arda Turan is not getting carried away, preferring to treat "every game as if it were a final".
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Club Atlético de Madrid may have taken their place in the round of 16 with two games to spare, but Turkey playmaker Arda Turan is not getting carried away.
"We always believe we can get a positive result when we're playing in the Champions League. However, I don't want to be overly ambitious at this stage," Arda told UEFA.com. "This is the world's biggest competition and it's very tough. We play every game as if it were a final and see where that approach takes us. That doesn't mean we don't dream of winning it or that we're not ambitious. We just want to win."
Despite Arda's admirable modesty, Diego Simeone's Group G winners have every reason to think big after recording four consecutive UEFA Champions League wins for the first time in their history – the latest a 4-0 home defeat of FK Austria Wien. The Rojiblancos are also riding high in the Spanish Liga, 11 victories from their opening 13 games keeping them within three points of leaders FC Barcelona.
For Arda, much of the credit must go to Simeone, and the 26-year-old is certainly thriving under the former Argentinian international's management. "He is working towards becoming the best in the world," said Arda. "To be able to achieve that, he just needs a little more experience. I believe he will become the best coach in the world. The way in which he reads the game and develops relationships with his players is magnificent."
To watch the full interview with Arda, click on the video player above.