Atletico Madrid entered the new La Liga season as one of the title favorites after outspending every other club in Spain this summer. But after two draws and a defeat in their opening three matches, Diego Simeone's side sits with just two points from a possible nine - already seven behind leaders Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.

The poor results and unconvincing performances have put Simeone under pressure, though the coach, who took charge at the end of 2011, insisted there is still time to turn things around.

Julian Alvarez(R) of Atletico de Madrid vies with Alex Baena of Villarreal CF during the LaLiga football match between Atletico de Madrid and Villarreal CF, in Madrid, Spain, Jan. 25, 2025. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

"It's a difficult moment, like we have every season, but we aren't going to hide," he told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope.

Simeone noted that only last season his team trailed Barcelona by 10 points in December before climbing to the top of the table. "We accept the criticism, because we haven't got the points we could have got, but the most important thing is to find our best team and improve," he said, arguing that Atletico was "not playing so badly."

Despite his optimism, Simeone avoided title talk. "Talking about winning titles wouldn't be good for those of us who are Atletico fans; we have to focus on the team's growth," he added.

Now in his 14th year as Atletico coach, by far the longest tenure of any current top-flight coach in Spain, Simeone stressed that experience does not guarantee job security. "Football is football and the most normal thing for coaches is to change, but I've had the unusual thing, which is being with a team for so long. I've had the good fortune of working with people who have helped me," he said.