Simeone: "You can’t relax until you have it in your hands”

For Argentina coach the game against Granada is the most important of the season. "If we move away from the most important thing, which is to win on Sunday, it will not be good either for the club or for the players and for the fans. We have to prepare and play the way we've been doing all year. We have to win on Sunday because it is an important match for our future," said the coach.

We are proud and excited to what our players are doing

Simeone is not thinking about next season: "I do not really think about next season because there are eight games of football left this season and we must be vigilant. As we saw with Malaga yesterday, you can’t relax until you have it in your hands. Deportivo were written off and now they are more alive than ever. Football is great, you have to think about this because it is the most important thing and the important thing is on Sunday."

Analyzing recent Atletico matches, the coach was satisfied: "The other day I analysed the last seven games. We won three, we drew three and lost one. Not so bad. We are proud and excited by what our players are doing. We're three points off of Real Madrid who’re on the back of reaching the second consecutive Champions League semifinals and I think it's pretty good what we're doing."

Asked about the difference that may have existed between the first round and the second, Diego Pablo Simeone said: "Our first round was very important and in the second, winning is more difficult. In the first half, everyone wants to play and forget some points, however, in the second everything is more complicated because everyone is playing for something important. The Spanish league is very competitive and it is normal when the tournament progresses, rivals look and study you as we do. Teams play differently because there are needs in the games. In this last section we’ll find the tools to achieve the goal. Last year with 61 points were enough to qualify for the Champions League, we’ve now got 62. You have to keep fighting."

Simeone squarely rejected the idea that the team has hit a slump physical. "I think that from the physical point of view, from the intensity, and the collective work, the team has not deteriorated at all. Yes we lost a game. We are running this possibility in those passages of game in which the team had that good game in midfield to forward, and hopefully we’ll get it back," he said.

Falcao is still one of the strikers sought by top European clubs. "Last year at this time it was the same with Falcao. It's not news. He is a major player and it is logical that the best teams in the world are interested in him," said the man from Buenos Aires.