Former Atletico Madrid striker David Villa won't hear criticism of coach Diego Simeone.

Simeone is under growing pressure as Atletico Madrid struggle for form.

But Villa insists: “El Cholo has credit earned and it's there due to everything that has changed with the mentality of the club in seven or eight years.

"He has the credit he needs, in my opinion and I think from the Atletico fans also.

"Cholo is a hard coach, he is a coach who wants you to work and get the best performance from within you. At the same time he is very talkative, he transmits a lot, he has very friendly talks with the player ... I had a fantastic experience of that year with Cholo.

"I was able to learn a lot as a player and also as a person. He is intense, it is what he was as a player and he transmits it as a coach."