In the second part of this exclusive interview with Flashscore, 'La Bala Bulgara' (The Bulgarian Bullet) - as Petrov was known at the Vicente Calderon - discusses current affairs surrounding Los Colchoneros with the same passion that once fuelled him on the pitch.
Read part one of our exclusive interview with Petrov here!
How did you see the Madrid derby, and were Real Madrid justified in reacting so strongly afterwards?
"In recent years, Real Madrid have got used to blaming the referees whenever they lose a match. Let me be direct. We know how many matches years ago - against Bayern Munich, Chelsea and others - when they were awarded offside goals, and everything was fine.
"Now, suddenly, the referees are to blame. The Madrid derby was a hard-fought match, but I don’t think Real have that much to complain about."
There was one particular incident involving Lee Kang-in...
"Okay, yes… the red card. The referee could absolutely have shown it. Of course, with an extra man, the match would have been different for Real. But ultimately, that’s why there are governing bodies that monitor refereeing decisions, and if they believe the referee made a mistake, perhaps he will face the necessary consequences.
"At that moment, he made that decision, and it has to be accepted. Los Blancos still had another 60 or 70 minutes. Why didn’t they outperform the opponent and win during those 60 or 70 minutes?
"Then you can say after the match: 'Look, a red card wasn’t given and we still won!' Why immediately bring out printers, pictures…? I expect this to go viral now and all the coaches will start doing it."
Jose Mourinho came up with another 'special' idea…
"I expected Mourinho to be sent off in the second half after that controversial incident. I was actually talking about it with my wife while watching the match. But he managed to keep himself under control. I don’t know whether he has become more restrained; we’ll see.
"Madrid started badly, and there has been serious criticism of him from journalists who are looking at things objectively. Okay, the referee may have had an influence, but Real Madrid are far from where they need to be.
"So the pressure on the coach will continue to grow, especially if the results don’t come. It is up to them whether he remains calm."
This isn't an isolated case, though - there has been a war of words with LaLiga president Javier Tebas for quite some time. Do you think things are going beyond what is normal and beyond the bounds of good manners?
"I still can’t remember a match that Real have lost and afterwards admitted that it happened for sporting reasons. Someone is always to blame.
"Whether it’s the referee, whether Vinicius is being provoked, whether someone is insulting him on racist grounds, whether Tebas is to blame… I can’t remember a match that Real Madrid lost and came out afterwards and said, 'Well, today we were terrible, and we lost.' They are always looking for the blame elsewhere.
"Ultimately, they need to take a look at themselves, right? Perhaps they think that because they are Real Madrid, undoubtedly one of the biggest names in world football, they can do whatever they want. In my opinion, they are now going too far with these constant statements and attacks. But apparently they can afford to do it, because if smaller clubs started doing the same thing, it wouldn’t have the same impact.
"Maybe that is their goal - to constantly remain in the spotlight, to put pressure on referees and officials, and so on. But for me, above all, they should look at their internal problems and pay more attention to football."
Returning to the current footballing reality in LaLiga, we have Barcelona with a brilliant start - seven wins from seven games, five points ahead of Atletico and six ahead of Real Madrid. Is there anyone who can stop them this year?
"It’s still very early in the season, but with the form Barcelona are showing at the moment, I don’t see who can stop them. Their form is incredible. They haven’t had a match in which they haven’t scored three or four goals.
"It depends on how they cope with injuries and suspensions, because the international matches and Champions League games have only just started. The season is long, but the Catalans also have a good bench, too.
"They simply play with an ease and confidence that, of course, also comes from winning the league in the last two seasons. Hansi Flick has introduced strict rules, discipline and methods, and everyone follows them. When you do things the right way and to a high standard, at some point, even if you’re not at your best, luck will cover for you.
"I still hope the title race remains as open as possible for as long as possible and that Atletico are a major contender for the title."
Hansi Flick is obviously a decisive factor, but in your opinion, what makes them look so unbeatable right now, down there, on the pitch?
"They have the necessary quality in every line. They don’t have a weak link. Then there is the vision, the approach and the style of play that Hansi Flick and his staff have implemented.
"Yes, we all know about their high defensive line, and everyone says: 'Oh, it’s easy, just kick the ball forward, and someone will run away with it,' but in reality it isn’t like that. You can see that as soon as they lose the ball, they immediately press and regain possession within one or two seconds. They don’t give the opposition the opportunity to establish sustained possession.
"But of course, this also carries its risks, because if you manage to break through that press, it becomes quite dangerous, as they really do defend on the halfway line. That’s how they lost some matches last year, without the other team necessarily having outplayed them. Because I don’t see which team can outplay Barcelona, especially in LaLiga."
Let’s look at Atletico - they finished 25 points behind Barcelona last season. According to many analysts, this was due to their focus on the cup competitions, none of which they actually won. What kind of season do you expect from Atletico now based on their start?
"In the final seven or eight rounds of last season, when they realised they were falling behind, they completely abandoned the league, and that’s why such a big gap developed. It was obvious to everyone. In my opinion, it shouldn’t have been so visible and pronounced, because Atletico should be able to compete with the big teams until the very end, and there shouldn’t be such a drop-off.
"Diego Simeone gave quite a few young players an opportunity, which, on the one hand, gave them a chance to prove themselves to him and show that they deserve a place in the first team.
"However, there is growing dissatisfaction with Simeone. I’ve heard it from some fans and also experienced it myself when I’ve been at the stadium. For me, the main problem in recent seasons has been the high turnover of players - every year they get rid of five or six players and spend huge amounts of money bringing in so many new ones, without any noticeable change in the level or quality.
"Finances aren’t the problem. They are spending almost more on transfers than Real and Barca, and every year it’s the same thing - third or fourth place. The results aren’t there. That’s what hurts the fans. They say: 'Okay, so the owners’ goal is for us to qualify for the Champions League, and that’s it. And what happens after that? We already know we’re going to finish third. So why spend all this money?' Those are legitimate questions."
In that sense, how do you assess the current transfers? Cristian Romero arrived, Lee Kang-in from PSG, Morten Hjulmand from Sporting, Alejandro Grimaldo, who has made a good impression. Do you think there will be a difference this time compared with what you’ve just described?
"I don’t know whether bringing them in will make a significant difference. They are good players, without being major stars. I like Lee; he has previous experience in LaLiga, a good left foot and can play anywhere.
"Romero doesn’t appeal to me as much because of his behaviour on the pitch. He provokes opponents a lot. Against Madrid, he was also involved in some of the discussions about a possible red card. He used to do the same at Tottenham.
"Personally, I think Atletico had players in those same positions with identical qualities whom they sold in order to bring in new players. But the season has started in the same way as the previous ones - you win two or three matches, then you have an away game against a team like Athletic Bilbao, a club with traditions but currently going through a period of transformation, and you lose 3-0.
"If you’ve set out to achieve something big during the season, you should at least avoid losing such a match, yet you lose by three goals. Then you pick up another draw or two, and there you go - the distance from first place starts to grow. I hope I’m proved wrong by the end of the season."
Atleti 'absolutely' should have sold Alvarez
Julian Alvarez was the central topic of the summer, with the whole saga and drama surrounding him. A few days ago, Barcelona sporting director Deco said that the Catalans had given up on signing him. Is this the news that will finally calm the situation around La Arana?
"Barcelona tried to sign him; they had nothing to lose. If they had managed to get him, he certainly would have been useful to them, but we can see that they are doing perfectly well without him.
"Atletico lost from the whole saga; the club lost, and the fans lost. The club could have received good money for a player who openly stated that he wanted to leave. He will probably leave anyway next year for €50–60 million, whereas the transfer could have been worth €120 million this time.
"You can see that he is no longer the same player. From there, the fans don’t support the team; instead, they focus on booing Julian Alvarez. So the question is: who benefits from all of this? Nobody."
For you, Atletico should have let him go - that would have been the right decision?
"If the offer was indeed the one that was being reported - €120 million plus bonuses - then yes, absolutely.
"And yet the situation can change quickly. The (Antoine) Griezmann case comes to mind as an example. He went to Barcelona and then returned. His first few matches were exactly the same - chants, boos, popcorn and baguettes being thrown at him, you name it… Then he scored two goals and the entire stadium started chanting his name. In the end, he had his farewell with them as a legend.
"The same could happen with Julian Alvarez. Even against Real Madrid, he had one chance which, had it gone in, would probably have immediately changed the fans’ attitude towards him.
"He needs goals. If he scores a hat-trick at the Metropolitano, both he and the situation will calm down, and he will once again be the team's star. It doesn’t work through interviews, statements and sulking. I experienced that myself as a footballer because of my character."
Do you think Simeone is the key to this possible redemption, the person who needs to get him back on the right track?
"Yes, that’s why he hugged him before he came onto the pitch in the derby against Real Madrid. They are both Argentine. There must certainly have been a conversation between them, because in that match I saw a slightly more positive attitude from Julian.
"In the previous matches, it was obvious that he was coming on just to go through the motions. Against Los Blancos, he moved more, had a goalscoring opportunity and made some good passes. Hopefully that trend continues, because if Julian Alvarez gets going, he will undoubtedly raise the team’s quality significantly.
"It’s difficult for him because, before the transfer window closed, he had fallen into a psychological slump for a week or two. It clearly affected him quite a lot."
The entire project seemed to have been built around him, and perhaps that is precisely why Atletico dug their heels in so much...
"There is one very important detail - you can’t deal with a player like that during the World Cup. There was no way to have those conversations there. This should have been discussed before the World Cup started.
"They should have sat down with him and tried to convince him that the club was entering a new phase in which he would be the central piece, together with Cholo Simeone and the new people who had arrived, in the shape of Apollo and David Villa. They should have given him confidence that he would be the key man, so that they could genuinely make him want to stay at the club.
"In my opinion, that conversation didn’t happen. They didn’t stop the speculation and rumours in time. From there, he said in an interview that he wanted to move to a club that was aiming to win trophies, and everything spiralled out of control."
Who is your favourite for the Ballon d’Or?
"I don’t know. Everyone is talking about Lamine Yamal and (Kylian) Mbappe now. The unfortunate thing is that in recent years the Ballon d’Or has become a tradition of controversy. There are always scandals, and the person who wins it doesn’t get the recognition they deserve.
"There will always be at least three or four candidates who are on an equal level. Ultimately, there are people who make the decision. So for me, whoever wins - whether it’s Mbappe, Lamine or Raphinha - these are footballers whose performances you should simply enjoy on the pitch. There shouldn’t be controversies, and nobody should be upset."