Cerezo calling for backing of the fans

The Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has urged his club's supporters to get behind the team in their fight to claim a top-four finish this season. Atletico's hopes of getting back into the Champions League have been badly hit over the last two games with the Rojiblancos slumping to defeats against two sides fighting relegation, Real Mallorca and Osasuna, leaving them in sixth spot, five points behind fourth-placed Villarreal.

During Sunday's dismal 4-2 home loss to Osasuna, various sections of the Vicente Calderon crowd vented their ire on both the players and on the board, in particular Cerezo. But he said: "Here we win and lose together. It's true that against Osasuna we were bad. We have great fans, the best, but you cannot start whistling the players after 10 minutes.The players are human beings, they are sensitive and need support."

* With agencies