Atlético Madrid on Wednesday evening will play the first of three home fixtures in a row, starting with the visit of Rayo Vallecano to the Estadio Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
Understandably, many questions in Tuesday’s press conference turned attentions to the weekend’s derby against Real Madrid. One reporter asked Diego Simeone was seeking to protect Julián Álvarez after taking him off against Mallorca — which prompted an angry reaction from the Argentina star.
“I’m only focused on the Rayo game,” Simeone
insisted. “We’re facing a team that competes well, with a lot of pressure, a lot of energy, and I’m not thinking about anything else.
“As for Julián, I did what I thought the team needed, he’s the best player we have and we need him. That’s all there is to it. We hope he can find the most important thing a striker has, which is goals, and that the team helps him to score them, because that’s why he came here and we need him at his best.”
Diego Simeone on how he’s feeling
“I’m in a place where I’m passionate, excited, and enjoy working. I see in the players that we’re on the path to wanting to continue evolving. There are signs that we are continuing to grow and that we are suffering in the final minutes. But the place I am in is fantastic, in terms of work, improvement, and being able to regain the feeling that the team always had, and I have no doubt that the players are committed to the work we are trying to do. And when you see that, patience and hard work. There is no other way, patience and hard work.”
Diego Simeone on Álex Baena’s fitness
“He’ll be with us. I don’t know if it will be for a while or for as long as the game requires. We’re getting back to feeling like we have him with us.”
Diego Simeone on having less rest than Real Madrid ahead of the derby
“I’m not worried about that.”
Diego Simeone on Alexander Sørloth
“The play the other day could have been a yellow card. They interpreted it as a red card, but there was no downward pressure on the ball during the play. I don’t think it was a clear sending-off.
“We have a lot of confidence in Sørloth. Last season, he scored a lot of goals from the start and coming off the bench, and we need him at his best. That’s why we’re going to demand that he help us like he did last year for as long as necessary.”
Diego Simeone on the club’s objective to finish third
“Rayo Vallecano.”
Diego Simeone on Conor Gallagher playing centrally
“He’s a very strong player, committed, coming in from the second line of attack, he can play in many positions. Last year he played more on the wing, where he doesn’t feel so comfortable. This year he’s participating. He can be important and we need everyone. Conor is one of the players we value highly.”
Diego Simeone on defensive struggles
“It’s not that simple to explain. It’s happened in different games. I have no doubt that everything that happens is collective. From pressing from front to back, the collective work that the team has to do, and we have to focus on working as a team. There’s no single way to explain why it happens. Last year we scored a lot of goals at the end because of our energy, enthusiasm, and confidence. It may be that all of this is a little low at the moment.”
Diego Simeone on three consecutive home games
“We said it before the Villarreal game: our fans are important. This is a time of growth for the players, and we as the coaching staff need our fans to give us that extra boost we need.”
