Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone spoke to the media ahead of the Madrid derby on Sunday night but gave little away in his pre-match press conference.
When asked whether Atlético would rotate, Simeone responded bluntly by saying, “to be honest, I don’t know yet.
“Honestly, we’re thinking about where to position ourselves, in what situation, as you rightly say, continuing with the rotations we’ve implemented when we’ve had to play in the Champions League or the Copa del Rey and then in La Liga,” Simeone
said.
The coach added that “the truth is that (all the players) are really keen to play and they’re making it difficult for me because there’s a huge desire among everyone to take part in tomorrow’s match, and I hope to be as sharp as possible so I can make the right choice.”
Simeone on Juan Musso
“Juan Musso has been doing a great job since he arrived, not just in that last match he played at Tottenham, but he’s been performing very well. Not only on the pitch but also in the dressing room as a man and a teammate in the role he’s been given. We’re very happy with him.”
Simeone on the significance of the derby
“It’s always an important match, of course, given the rivalry that exists in the city where both teams are based, and knowing that our fans always get really excited about these matches.”
Simeone on whether he’s feeling pressure or excitement
“I think it’s always a match played on an emotional level, with a lot of enthusiasm and trying to do our best to take the game to where we believe we can hurt the opposition.”
Simeone on the tough schedule
“It’s on our minds, but it doesn’t worry us. It’s on our minds and, obviously, we’ll try to manage everything ahead of us as best we can, always looking out for the best for the team and the club.”
Simeone on Álvaro Arbeloa
“He’s doing a great job, the results speak for themselves. There’s a real bond between him and the players, and you can feel it. Beyond the technical ability that we coaches may have, there’s an added bonus that’s evident – and this is clearly evident – that there’s a mindset similar to what the coach wants, asks for and needs.”
Simeone on Real Madrid
“They’re working very well as a team, collectively, as was particularly evident in the Champions League match against Benfica and Manchester City. I think that’s the pattern they’ll follow in their quest, as Madrid always does, to win everything.”
Simeone on Julián Alvarez’s form
“Julián Alvarez is a person and, as a person, obviously we all have better moments and moments that, perhaps, aren’t so good. But what we’ve seen in our recent matches is something we’ve seen many times before. That’s why, when his form perhaps dipped, we were calling for him to return to his best. I have no doubt that he identifies more with everything that’s happening to him now than with what happened to him before. But we also know that, on the path we have ahead of us, it’s never a straight road. There are always bends, and you know what I think when the bends come.”
Simeone on Obed Vargas’ progress
“That’s a lot of questions for the short time I’ve spent with him. What I do see is a very polite, very respectful, very hard-working, very humble lad, very committed to wanting to improve. And all those qualities are important if you want to develop. The other day (against Getafe) he had a good game, in my opinion, in a match where he started. And hopefully he’ll keep developing in training, developing in the matches he plays in, so that, obviously, every day he can adapt more to the huge difference between where he came from and where he is today.”
Simeone on which team loses more without Oblak and Courtois
“The fans, because two very good goalkeepers are missing.”
