Simeone: “We feel strong game by game”

Simeone started analysing Athletic de Bilbao, the next Atlético rival. “I expect a hard rival, that plays well, a rival with confidence that thrives at home and with great fans who always support and drive them on. San Mamés is a beautiful setting to play a football match, and we will obviously need to play a great game, because we face a great team”. A team that is having a similar season to ours, as portrayed by the coach from Buenos Aires. “Athletic’s season, regarding the work done and the amount of points they have, is very similar to ours. They are fighting for the fourth place because they have good players. We will have to be focused, trying to take the game where it suits us”.

Unaware of anything unrelated to the team’s daily work and effort, Simeone assured that “I’m focused on what we have to do, and that is, rest, travel and play. It drives us to face each game as if it were a final, because it’s the only road that brings us closer to what we set out for at the beginning of the season”, he said.

“The rivals are playing at our same pace, and have the same time to prepare the matches. Today we train all together for the first time and tomorrow we’ll decide which road to take to play a good game to be more our most competitive”, he explained related to the amount of matches the teams have to play in this final stage of the season. A final stage where the Champions also returns against a Barcelona that’s lost Víctor Valdés to an injury for the rest of the season. Simeone had words of support for the Catalán goalkeeper. “I give my full support to Valdés, and wish him the best. It’s not an easy situation, but he’s a strong guy and a great player. I hope we can promptly see him on the field and for a speedy recovery. We wish him our best from everyone in Atlético de Madrid”.

All the players are important for the end of season, as demonstrated in various games of this season. “The guys that have entered the game in the final minutes have made an big change in the team, to settle important matches such as those against Celta, Elche, Granada, Real Sociedad. Playing less minutes they end up being as important as those playing longer. I’m convinced of the group’s effort. What’s important now is the quality and not the quantity of the minutes, because we need all of them”, he pointed out.

To end, Diego Pablo stressed that the team “must live in the reality that comes from playing each game”. “I wouldn’t dare to say that the players from Madrid and Barcelona are less eager to win than us. We all have the same possibilities and the same energy. Words don’t mean much right now, it’s the facts that matter, and they will determine each team’s possibilities. We feel candidates to go game by game, that’s where we feel strong. Dreams are for fans, we live in the reality and to get to that consequence you have to win”, he concluded.