Atlético de Madrid coach Diego Simeone spoke to the media ahead of the first La Liga game of the season on Wednesday night against Málaga. Simeone previewed the match and discussed continued transfer speculation, especially around forward Julián Alvarez.
“I still feel the same way I did the other day in Korea. I handle the sporting side of things, and from the sporting perspective, as well as the personal one, he’s an extraordinary young man,” Simeone said. “We were talking, as we always do, and,
well, from a sports standpoint, I understand that he still needs a little more training to be in top form by Sunday, and I understand that we need more training sessions with him so he can be at his best.
“He’s one of the players, or the best player, we have in attack. I said that last year, and I still feel the same way,” Simeone continued. “We need to build a team around him, taking into account all his power, his quality, his stature, his talent, and everything he’s given the team during the years he’s been here.”
Diego Simeone on the adaptation of new signings
“Well, we’re actually in the process of settling in. The truth is, among the guys who played in the World Cup final, and there were many of them, and the new arrivals, some came later, others earlier. Kang-in started training with us when we went to Korea, and Cuti Romero arrived just recently. The truth is, we’re in the midst of figuring out exactly what we’re going to do and where we’re headed, and obviously, we’re going to need time that we don’t have because we have a game tomorrow. But that’s the reality.”
Simeone on Arnau Ortiz and his move to the first team
“He came off a great season last year playing under Fernando (Torres) in the B team, and we decided to bring him to preseason to observe him, to have him with us longer, because, obviously, since he was registered from last season, we couldn’t promote him. We’ve seen things that can help us, and given his humility, his desire to grow, and his work ethic, we hope his contribution to the team this season will be what we envision, and what I imagine he’s excited about.”
Simeone on the level of the squad
“Well, that’s a trick question, asking whether these players are better or the others are worse. I’m not going there; you know me. I understand that we have to keep making adjustments, that’s exactly what I was saying in response to the second question. A lot of guys are arriving late; some have had nine training sessions or rather, nine days since they started training, others 13 or 14. We’ll have to make adjustments as we see fit to get the most out of the team we’ll end up with, which we still don’t know, because, obviously, the transfer window isn’t over yet, and you know that nothing surprises me when it comes to what might happen. We’re prepared for whatever happens, and once the transfer window closes, that’s when we’ll have a clearer picture of who we are.”
Simeone on Julián’s future
“I think that if the club owner speaks as bluntly as he did, I don’t think there’s anything more to say. It’s like when court cases are heard, there’s no room for debate. So I think it’s more than clear what he said, and from that standpoint, we’re approaching this from a sportsmanlike perspective, trying to look out for the person, look out for the player, and hope he’s in the condition we believe he needs to be in so he can continue to uphold his reputation, the kind of player he is, and what he’s given us. So we understand that, under these circumstances, we don’t see him as being in a position to play or participate in this match, and I hope that over the next four days we’ll make a bit more progress and get closer to where we want to be.”
Simeone on Pablo Barrios
“I think all players need special attention, more individualized care, especially emotionally, and increasingly so, on a mental level, and, that’s what we’re working on. The coaches are doing an extraordinary job, working hard and seeking the best solutions so the players can perform at 120% which is what we need because 100% isn’t enough for us. We’re in the process of giving our all and hoping to reach that 120% that puts us in a competitive position.”
Simeone on Cuti Romero
“Leadership, strength, quality, class, commitment, and a sense of belonging, certainly over time. I see him as a player with all the soccer and personal values that define Atlético de Madrid, and I hope he can demonstrate everything I’m telling you, because he’s clearly here to help us.”
Simeone on how fans will react to Julián
“People will have their opinions and think what they need to think. I believe I’m very respectful of everyone’s opinion; I’ve always been that way in every situation we’ve faced, Diego Costa, (Antoine) Griezmann, and now Julián, which is what you’re referring to.”
Simeone on replacing Antoine Griezmann
“I’m not going to rack my brain trying to imagine another Griezmann, because there won’t be another Griezmann. It was certainly something incredible; as I said at the time, we had a genius for many years. We’re obviously going to miss him, both as a player and as a person. But just as we’ve done with so many other incredibly important players the club has had throughout my time here, we’ll figure out the best way to keep competing at the same level, or even higher, than we did with Antoine, using the new players joining the team.”
