Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone was full of praise for his team after a challenging 1-1 draw against Stuttgart in the UEFA Champions League, with a goal from striker Julián Álvarez for the first time this season.
“Julián put in a massive physical effort throughout the match, he worked incredibly hard, spent some time operating on the left flank and continued to help the team in every way we needed,” he reflected.
“On top of that, he scored a goal, which was extraordinary, and I’m really happy for
him,” he continued. “We need Julián and we need his goals. If he starts to get closer and closer to the form he showed today, he’ll obviously be very important for us.”
Diego Simeone on the possible penalty claimed by Hancko
“I couldn’t see it live because I was too far away. Afterwards, I was told that there had been a stamp on Hancko. The referee and the VAR had the chance to review the incident and decided there was no penalty. That was ultimately the decision and we can’t change what happened.”
Simeone on Stuttgart’s dominance in the first half
“I’d already explained in the pre-match build-up what this Stuttgart side is like. They’re a tough side who press very well, are well-organised and link up well in defence, and manage to take away your time to make decisions. We knew what we were up against, but for quite a while we couldn’t cope with that pressure. After conceding the goal, we reacted and in the last fifteen minutes of the first half we started to show that we were really getting into the game. At half-time we talked about it because we felt we could get the equaliser. The score became 1-1 and then came the sending-off, which forced us to adapt again. From then on we had to approach the match differently and the players put in a huge effort.”
Simeone on Satisfaction with Atlético’s response
“I’m leaving feeling satisfied with how the team responded to a situation that was tricky from the start. After the equaliser, the match was wide open and we felt we could turn it in our favour, but when we were reduced to ten men, we had to approach it differently. At that point, we also had to know how to protect the point we’d already secured and compete whilst a man down. The players’ effort ultimately allowed us to take that point.”
Simeone on the risk of sliding tackles
“When a player goes in for a sliding tackle, there’s always the possibility of making contact with an opponent, and in this case Hjulmand ended up stepping on his ankle. Given the pace of the game, it’s not easy to ask a player never to go in for a tackle, because it’s part of football, but we must understand that those kinds of incidents can end up costing you dearly. Players will have to exercise greater self-control because, if they don’t, teams can suffer greatly from these situations.”
Simeone on the penalty on Hancko after reviewing the footage
“Afterwards, you’re left with the feeling that the challenge on Hancko could have been a penalty because you can see the contact in the footage. But that’s it; it doesn’t change anything at all about what happened in the match. The referee made a decision and we have to move on.”
Simeone on identity he is seeking for Atlético
“What the team showed in the closing stages of the first half and throughout the second half, first playing 11 against 11 and then with 10 men, is close to who we are and what we want to represent. We are a team that has to work hard, compete and use every weapon at our disposal to try to achieve important things and meet the club’s objectives.”
