Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone played down the importance of the tactical battle between himself and Hansi Flick as Barcelona come to the Estadio Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Saturday night for a La Liga fixture which will start a three-part battle over the next couple of weeks.
“I think football is always about the players first and foremost, beyond the tactics, beyond the coaches’ ideas,” Simeone explained. “What ultimately decides these kinds of matches is the quality and calibre of the players,
and I think Barcelona have been playing in a certain way for two years now, since their manager arrived, and they’re doing it, as we’ve always said, extraordinarily well, with their high defensive line, which won’t change because it’s their style of play, and with their attacking positioning to thrive in one-on-one situations, and, obviously, by winning those duels, they’re able to attack.
“We’ve been playing to our strengths for 14 years and we’ll keep working as hard as we can to continue competing against them,” Simeone concluded.
Diego Simeone on the status of Marc Pubill, Jan Oblak and Pablo Barrios
“The truth is that they’re all making excellent progress. Jan Oblak will likely start training with the squad on Monday, he’s already been working today. He’s feeling better, so that’s a positive sign. As for (Rodri) Mendoza, he’ll also be back with the squad on Monday. Pablo Barrios is making very, very good progress. As for Pubill, he’s working hard to ensure that, in the time he has ahead of him, he’ll be in the best possible shape. I have no doubt that all the lads who’ve been out of the team due to injury will gradually start helping us out.”
Simeone on whether this game is more or less important
“No, it’s not important at all. It’s just as I always say.”
Simeone on Johnny Cardoso’s injury with the USMNT
“Barcelona.”
Simeone on the mood in the dressing room
“It’s good, with the same enthusiasm we’ve been working with all season. We started pre-season excited about reaching this stage so we could compete for the places we want to reach. God willing, and if He helps us, we can compete as we’ve been doing from here to the end, and, that’s the path we’re on.”
Simeone on racism in football
“Well, I think it’s a social issue and it’s global. It’s not specific to Spain, or Argentina, or Brazil, or anywhere else. It’s social. It’s a respect that was lost several years ago. The respect we had for our parents, for school, for schoolteachers, for the police, for a club’s general manager, for the coach, for the presidents… Today it’s gone and we don’t have it. We all have to work with the awareness and vision that, with faith, believing in God and knowing that the path is to believe, we can improve.”
Simeone on this game deciding the La Liga title
“No, it doesn’t bother me.”
Simeone on Barça’s biggest threat
“Barça’s biggest threat is all their players. All their players, because they’re extraordinary. They have the ability to play in the opposition’s half, running down the clock so you can’t even think it’s incredible. They do it game after game, which is very difficult to replicate. They play with a high defensive line, with the risks that entails, and they accept them. We’ll take the game where we think we can hurt them.”
