Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone addressed the media after the team’s 2-1 home defeat to Barcelona on Saturday night, with much of the talk about the decisions from referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer.
Speaking about the red card to Gerard Martín, which was changed after a VAR intervention, Simeone said “no, I haven’t been wronged, they’ve made a mistake, just as coaches and players do”
“In the Betis-Rayo match, they said the same challenge was a red card when the ball went over the foot and stepped on
it, so did they see it or not? They saw it.”
Diego Simeone on the red card decision
“We can look at the two halves. We played very well in the first half, with chances at both ends, pressing well and creating opportunities, but then we had the sending-off, which was justified, as was the case with Nico (hauling down Lamine Yamal). We clung to a possible offside call, and in that situation VAR can’t intervene for a second yellow card. The second half was a different game; we defended as best we could, we couldn’t attack as we would have liked and we were left with the goal, which was a rebound, and perhaps for all that effort we could have secured a draw.”
Simeone on the red card (again)
“I was told about it and I saw the Betis-Rayo incident. The CTA said afterwards that it should have been a sending-off. There’s not much to say, the incident is clear. He’s late, he steps on the foot and the ankle, and we’ll have to wait for the CTA to review it properly so that, if it goes to the next matchday, it’s clear what it is.”
Simeone on Nico’s red card
“(The referee said) that it was a second yellow and, from there, a red, and he was right. If the second yellow is clearly visible, there’s no need to say anything.”
Simeone on the positives
“Losing isn’t positive. The lads’ work was very good. In the second half, with that huge second effort from the youngsters who were able to make their debuts, they did very well given the stage of the match, and hopefully it will serve them well because losing is never good.”
Simeone on Musso saying Atleti were better with 11 vs 11
“I’ve learnt from this and from last week’s match.”
Simeone on Raphinha not being available
“I’m not thinking about Raphinha; I’m thinking about the quarter-final match we’ll have to play against a massive team like Barcelona. First away from home, given the way they compete at home. We have to be strong, play better than in the second leg of the Copa, where they didn’t let us think, attack or create chances, apart from one Lookman had in the first half and one from Sørloth at the end. We need to give more of ourselves because we’re in a Champions League quarter-final.”
Simeone on VAR giving Nico a straight red card
“What do I know? He saw a yellow, a yellow, a red. We were walking over and he told me it was a second yellow.”
Simeone on Javi Morcillo and Taufik Seidu making their debuts
“It was a good time for the lads to make their debuts, to bring energy to the team, and a good time for Lookman, Julián and the other lads I didn’t play to get a rest.”
