Again in March, Arsenal appointed Andrea Berta as their new sporting director, with the Italian having accomplished a swift return to soccer following his Atletico Madrid exit initially of 2025. His time at Los Colchoneros, which totalled over 11 years, ended on a bitter word as he was now not deemed needed by the membership, and now his dealing with of a sure matter has been known as into query.
In July, Saul Niguez left Atleti after 17 years, but it surely was in the course of the earlier summer time that he was advised he had no future on the RiyadhAir Metropolitano. He was advised this by head coach Diego Simeone, and as per Cadena SER (through Diario AS), he opened up on that assembly with the Argentine.
“The season that I used to be going to go away, he got here and advised me that he didn’t rely on me. He himself was even stunned at how I answered him – I simply thanked him.
“It’s troublesome to say to a participant who has been with you for therefore a few years: ‘Hey, subsequent 12 months I’d quite you aren’t right here. I want to produce other gamers’. You may throw issues in his face, however I used to be the alternative: ‘Mister, you will have given me the chance to fulfil my dream, to play for Atletico Madrid, you will have taught me loads, thanks’.
Saul: “Andrea Berta was not completely trustworthy with me”
Whereas Saul credited Simeone along with his no-nonsense strategy to that delicate matter, he criticised the one taken by then-sporting director Berta, who handled him earlier than his mortgage transfer to Sevilla in summer time 2024.
“I used to be a participant of the academy, who I’ve all the time tried to assist the membership, though there are individuals who reproached me for not decreasing my wage… I lowered my wage when Atletico requested me to, I’ve been paid in promissory notes after they have requested me to, even now I’ve achieved issues in order that they’ve services. I’ve all the time mentioned sure to every little thing.
“I used to be very stunned by that detrimental power that was round me. There have been individuals I didn’t care about. Miguel Ángel (Gil Marin), (Enrique) Cerezo, Cholo… These individuals confirmed it to me. However on this case, the sporting director, Andrea Berta, was not completely trustworthy with me, and I’ve even seen proof. He denied this, however I’ve seen proof. I advised him to not mislead me. All that damage me, as a result of if he had achieved issues proper with me, he would have sat down with me, we might have talked to one another’s faces and we’d have regarded for an answer.”