Simeone and Koke Preach Focus and Adaptability Ahead of Super Cup Derby Clash
Atlético Madrid head coach Diego Simeone and club captain Koke spoke in today’s pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday’s
Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Real Madrid, emphasizing adaptability, focus, and the dangers of reading too much into past encounters.
Speaking ahead of the Madrid derby, Simeone dismissed any notion that recent history will dictate what unfolds in the neutral-site clash.
“Every match is different,” Simeone said. “The match at the Metropolitano won’t be related to tomorrow’s. Each team has its own strengths. We’ll have to play the game we believe we can to stay in this competition.”
The Atlético coach’s message was echoed almost word-for-word by Koke, underlining the unity of thought within the squad as they prepare for one of the most high-stakes fixtures of the season.
“The match at the Metropolitano won’t be related to tomorrow’s,” Koke said. “Each team has its own strengths. We’ll have to play the game we believe we can to stay in this competition.”
While the Spanish Super Cup format offers a theoretically shorter route to silverware, Koke was quick to caution against underestimating the difficulty of the task ahead.
“Simple? In terms of the number of matches, yes, but it isn’t,” he explained. “They will be a very difficult opponent, one of the best in the world, but tomorrow they will face Atlético, who will give their all. It’s the first step towards winning a title.”
Atlético enter the semi-final having recently played Real Madrid in a lob-sided derby, but Koke insisted that result will have little bearing on Wednesday’s encounter.
“I don’t think the last derby will play a part,” he said. “We know each other’s teams and played a great match, but each team is different. There can be expulsions, injuries… We have a plan and we’ll stick to it to the death. We have to give 100% to win.”
Koke also addressed questions surrounding Kylian Mbappé, whose availability has been a talking point ahead of the match, without overstating the impact of his potential absence.
“We know Mbappé’s level,” Koke said. “Tomorrow we’ll say whether it makes much difference that he’s not there.”
