Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone looked back on the season and looked ahead to summer transfer priorities as he spoke in his final pre-match press conference before Sunday’s visit to Villarreal.
“To break down the season a bit, I believe we’ve improved a lot on the offensive end, as we’re a team that, despite the criticism, plays well, attacks well, we scored a lot of goals in the Champions League, we scored a lot of goals in La Liga, and the Copa del Rey is no different, but we need to improve defensively,”
Simeone explained.
“Valance matters; Arsenal, in my view, is the most balanced team among those competing at the highest level, and, well, that speaks to the energy we need across all facets of the game. So hopefully, we can bring that in to find the balance that teams need.”
Simeone on aiming for third place
“It’s clear that tomorrow’s match is important if we want to finish the league season stronger than we have all season, because we’ve always been below third place, if I’m not mistaken. Let’s hope we can stay focused on playing a good game and, as a result, finish as high as possible, which in this case would be third place.
“It’s clear that we’re going to face a team that wants to finish on a high note, with (Dani) Parejo’s departure, the coach’s departure, and their final home game, all while maintaining the classic style that Villarreal has displayed throughout the league season, which has defined their play so well. We’ll see how it plays out on the field.”
Simeone on Obed Vargas
“It’s clear that adapting to Atlético de Madrid and to La Liga in general isn’t easy for many players. Imagine the guys coming from other leagues. But (Vargas) is a hard-working guy, eager to grow, eager to evolve, willing to listen, and, above all, to follow what the coach and the team need. So he seems ready, and it will always depend on what happens on the field, which is what counts.”
Simeone on fatigue
“The truth is that yesterday I read a bit of what (Pep) Guardiola said in his explanation at the press conference, and while I didn’t win the trophies he clearly won there, if you changed the name, I did feel a strong connection to the story he was telling, to what he was explaining, and he explained it very well. It comes with the consequence of having to be in the spotlight every three days, competing every three days, every three days, especially talking to the players to get them involved in the match, beyond training, managing the group. All of this creates a never-ending cycle that starts all over again two days after you finish your last match.
“It’s a long season, and I think, as we’ve explained, we competed very well. Hopefully next season will be even better, then we’d be talking about something even greater than what we achieved this season.”
Simeone on growth with the team
“The ambition is there, the drive is there; year after year we reinvent ourselves. I think last season started off difficult—many players left, eight if I’m not mistaken; eight new ones came in and tried to adapt along the way, and (the club) managed to close Nico at the last minute, a signing that really helped us, among other things.
How do we improve? By continuing to seek what’s best for the team, what Mateu (Alemany), (Carlos) Bucero and I believe is best for the team, and then translating that into our play. As I always say, this isn’t about coaches; it’s about players. And it’s clear that with better players, there are better coaches.”
Simeone on the best coaches
“Honestly, naming just three coaches is difficult; there are plenty of coaches with extraordinary qualities: Ancelotti, Emery, Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Arteta, Iraola, Flick… I don’t want to leave anyone out, because there really are a lot of coaches who are very good and who help their teams find their identity, and I think that’s what our role is all about.
And then there’s Guardiola: incredible work, just as incredible as he is, surely the best coach in the world right now because of his ability to reinvent himself, his ability to win, because this is all about winning, and above all, being on a team where we all say he gets all the good players, but he has to win, and winning isn’t easy. And he’s done it over and over again, starting over and doing it all over again, and that speaks for itself about the caliber and quality of his work. I wish him the best in his life; I don’t think he’ll be out of work for long, but well, I’m sure a year or two will fly by before he’s back because that’s just how football is.”
Simeone on the possibility of Apollo making a major investment
“No, I don’t think so, no.”
