MADRID, 7 years old. (PRESS EUROPE) –
Atlético de Madrid coach Diego Pablo Simeone has assured that this Sunday’s Liga Santander match against FC Barcelona is “a good opportunity” to connect positive results, which make “the team feel more secure”. and highlighted the quality of the culé team, governed by a Xavi Hernández “with clear ideas”.
“Negative results bring negative energy and positive ones help the team feel more self-confident. Tomorrow we will continue along this line and try to take the game where we believe we can do damage,” he said at the press conference.
Despite the repercussions of the duel against the Catalans, ‘Cholo’ explained that it is a match as important as the rest of the league. “All the matches in which I have had to coach Atlético de Madrid are an opportunity, to feel good with others, with our people, in the Cup or in whatever we have to play. Since I arrived at the club I have felt that every match is an important moment for everyone” he said.
“We have faced all matches for 11 years and we want to see them as if they were a final. We will see the next match in Almería in the same way and so on and you also broadcast it in the same way. The reality of football is that there is no a more important game than you have to play. Barcelona are doing very well in La Liga, they are the team that contributed the most to the World Cup, with a coach with clear ideas and they play very well” he added.
On the other hand, they didn’t hide that in last season’s clash against Xavi Hernández’s men they had problems with their wingers. “They did very well, we got off to a good start and won 1-0, but they, with their wings wide open, caused us a lot of damage on the outside. With Raphinha, Dembélé, Ansu Fati, Memphis… Each of them, in the one-on-one are very important players.”
In another order of things, he has not revealed whether Pablo Barrios will start playing. “We still haven’t decided who will start in the middle. Lemar, Koke, Pablo and Kondogbia are working very well. Football is a game and it asks you to do what we normally see in training and matches” “I had to play before, did you 20 or 35. Everyone’s personality and tranquility comes from the trust of each player. We won’t talk if he has to start,” he confirmed.
He also did not explain whether he will give João Félix opportunities. “It’s a good opportunity for the team, to keep growing, to keep improving as a team and capture what we want in the game. We believe we can take the game where we want to take it and generate the difficulties you need to generate for a team like he, Barcelona” he said.
Finally, Simeone did not want to talk about the difference between the current Barça and that of Leo Messi, while acknowledging that the Argentine “will always be decisive”. “It is normal that with a player of Leo’s characteristics there is the possibility of winning. When I had to play the World Cup with Maradona, who was already great, there was the feeling that it was difficult to lose, because we had the best. And if you have the better, the chances of winning are closer”, he concluded.
