Maniche has apologised to Atletico Madrid and declared he wants to stay with the club.

The Portugal midfielder was shipped out to Inter Milan in January after a blow-up with management, but now hopes for a fresh start with coach Javier Aguirre.

"There is a lot of talk, but the most important thing is that I want to stay," said Maniche. "I love everything about the club, the fans and playing at the Calderon. It is a decision that depends not only on me, but I want to do everything possible to stay.

"I made mistakes, I didn't show respect for the coach and my colleagues. With time, you realize that these are things that should not have happened. The key is to have enough humility to recognize that you were wrong."