Quique S. Flores: “We have to take another step to the front against Real Sociedad”
“There are numbers to think about everything but we’re going game to game”
Quique Sánchez Flores reviewed the current state of things for Atlético de Madrid in the lead-up to Sunday’s match against Real Sociedad, leaving aside any topic not related to the game.
To begin, everyone was wondering whether or not Juanfran and Diego Costa would start after their good games against Osasuna last weekend. “We played a very good match against Osasuna and followed the line set in prior matches. We had been quite good results both at home and on the road. We’re going to try and put on the best unit possible. Obviously there will be a change or two. In any case, we are completely satisfied because there were three or four players who don’t play that much and who got us a great result.”
The fact that Diego Costa scored three goals in Pamplona isn’t a draw back for the head coach. “Blessed problem. I wish we’d had that problem all season long. I don’t usually stop the unstoppable. You have to let things run their course and reach their maximum possible level. I try to unblock the negative and that’s what we managers have to do with situations that change over the course of the season.”
Real Sociedad arrives on Sunday, an opponent for which Quique Sánchez Flores has plenty of respect. “From here until the end of the season, we have a very dangerous schedule against teams that we already played against down the home stretch last year. Real Sociedad is very aware that they’re coming in in a dangerous situation. Therefore, they will come out fully focused, with maximum intensity against us. We therefore have to play our game, impose our style and our way of playing, with full concentration. And if we play as a unit, we’ll play a good game. That’s the idea.”
Quique Sánchez Flores said he knows whether Diego Costa will play or not, but didn’t reveal his decision. He touched on Costa’s statements during the week. “I understand the footballer. If I were Diego Costa 15 years ago I would have said the same thing. They’re not damaging statements for the group. He did all that he could do and wants to keep playing. That’s reasonable and justifiable. I’ll decide who plays, but it’s an optimistic and ambitious statement. Those are things that I want from here until the end of the season.”
Concerning the rumors of possible signings, departures and the like, he acknowledged that “I have no doubt about the group. The better you know the group the more affection you feel towards them and the less they surprise you. I have no doubts about these professionals, beyond the fact that we’ve been a bit inconsistent this season. As regards the specific topic, I have no doubts. It would be a very clumsy move, the clumsiest of any coach, to tell the Club and the players that you’re leaving with 8 games left and the goals yet to be reached. That would be like abandoning the fleet in the middle of a battle. I haven’t held any kind of conversation with the front office and I only spoke once to say that we’d talk at the end of the season. Right now, the only thing that interests me is the commitment I have with Atlético de Madrid. I’m happy with the fans, the players, I get along with the executives, despite whoever is saying the opposite and, therefore, I’m completely relaxed. This will be resolved when the season ends.”
Concerning whether he’s been bothered by everything that’s come out in the press recently, he admitted “yes, because we have a very important game against Real and we have to take another step to the front. These types of situations only muddle things up more. The last thing we want is to confuse things and mess up the team’s movements. I haven’t spoken to either the players to deny the news because I believe that the players know me perfectly and know what our goal is, first against Real, to play a good game and, if possible, to obtain a good result.”
He wanted to settle what might happen in a couple of months once and for all. “We’re intelligent enough to postpone things that aren’t important right now. My future isn’t important or relevant at all. The most important thing is for all the players to increase their individual value until the end of the season, and for me to improve my value at the end of the season. And when the season ends we’ll meet as we normally do and as we’ve always done. I would be incapable of messing things up for the group and that’s not going to happen in my case. It’s never happened and isn’t going to happen now.”
He isn’t ruling out the chances of qualifying for Champions League, but is keeping his feet on the ground and said that “we’re realistic and the main goal is to reach Europa League and play good matches. That’s the short term goal. There are numbers to think about everything, but we want to go game to game. When this team has looked at the numbers on the long term we’re a very strange team and things have gone poorly for us. We want to look what’s in front of us and right now that’s the match against Real. People have their right to dream, get depressed or do whatever they want. But we have the obligation of playing a good game this Sunday.”
Regarding the opponent he expects tomorrow, Real Sociedad, he considered that “we’re playing better as we focus solely on ourselves. Real Sociedad is a great squad, and very dangerous because they have four midfield and attacking players who are very good in Xabi Prieto, Zurutuza, Griezmann and Tamudo. These players could play in any team in the top six. We’re going to play our game and try to cancel those guys out, and to do that, we’ll have to make a great effort. If we don’t take the pitch thinking that we’re facing good players, we’ll have a rough go of it.”
There are direct match-ups this and next weekend that could benefit Atlético de Madrid in their path towards Europe. “We’re very excited about our own dynamic because things are going our way and we’ve regained self-assuredness. We have more confidence in what we’re doing. We have to try to play our game and there are direct match-ups, but if we don’t do what we have to, then it won’t help us at all. But I insist that we really depend on what we’re capable of doing.”
To begin, everyone was wondering whether or not Juanfran and Diego Costa would start after their good games against Osasuna last weekend. “We played a very good match against Osasuna and followed the line set in prior matches. We had been quite good results both at home and on the road. We’re going to try and put on the best unit possible. Obviously there will be a change or two. In any case, we are completely satisfied because there were three or four players who don’t play that much and who got us a great result.”
The fact that Diego Costa scored three goals in Pamplona isn’t a draw back for the head coach. “Blessed problem. I wish we’d had that problem all season long. I don’t usually stop the unstoppable. You have to let things run their course and reach their maximum possible level. I try to unblock the negative and that’s what we managers have to do with situations that change over the course of the season.”
Real Sociedad arrives on Sunday, an opponent for which Quique Sánchez Flores has plenty of respect. “From here until the end of the season, we have a very dangerous schedule against teams that we already played against down the home stretch last year. Real Sociedad is very aware that they’re coming in in a dangerous situation. Therefore, they will come out fully focused, with maximum intensity against us. We therefore have to play our game, impose our style and our way of playing, with full concentration. And if we play as a unit, we’ll play a good game. That’s the idea.”
Quique Sánchez Flores said he knows whether Diego Costa will play or not, but didn’t reveal his decision. He touched on Costa’s statements during the week. “I understand the footballer. If I were Diego Costa 15 years ago I would have said the same thing. They’re not damaging statements for the group. He did all that he could do and wants to keep playing. That’s reasonable and justifiable. I’ll decide who plays, but it’s an optimistic and ambitious statement. Those are things that I want from here until the end of the season.”
Concerning the rumors of possible signings, departures and the like, he acknowledged that “I have no doubt about the group. The better you know the group the more affection you feel towards them and the less they surprise you. I have no doubts about these professionals, beyond the fact that we’ve been a bit inconsistent this season. As regards the specific topic, I have no doubts. It would be a very clumsy move, the clumsiest of any coach, to tell the Club and the players that you’re leaving with 8 games left and the goals yet to be reached. That would be like abandoning the fleet in the middle of a battle. I haven’t held any kind of conversation with the front office and I only spoke once to say that we’d talk at the end of the season. Right now, the only thing that interests me is the commitment I have with Atlético de Madrid. I’m happy with the fans, the players, I get along with the executives, despite whoever is saying the opposite and, therefore, I’m completely relaxed. This will be resolved when the season ends.”
Concerning whether he’s been bothered by everything that’s come out in the press recently, he admitted “yes, because we have a very important game against Real and we have to take another step to the front. These types of situations only muddle things up more. The last thing we want is to confuse things and mess up the team’s movements. I haven’t spoken to either the players to deny the news because I believe that the players know me perfectly and know what our goal is, first against Real, to play a good game and, if possible, to obtain a good result.”
He wanted to settle what might happen in a couple of months once and for all. “We’re intelligent enough to postpone things that aren’t important right now. My future isn’t important or relevant at all. The most important thing is for all the players to increase their individual value until the end of the season, and for me to improve my value at the end of the season. And when the season ends we’ll meet as we normally do and as we’ve always done. I would be incapable of messing things up for the group and that’s not going to happen in my case. It’s never happened and isn’t going to happen now.”
He isn’t ruling out the chances of qualifying for Champions League, but is keeping his feet on the ground and said that “we’re realistic and the main goal is to reach Europa League and play good matches. That’s the short term goal. There are numbers to think about everything, but we want to go game to game. When this team has looked at the numbers on the long term we’re a very strange team and things have gone poorly for us. We want to look what’s in front of us and right now that’s the match against Real. People have their right to dream, get depressed or do whatever they want. But we have the obligation of playing a good game this Sunday.”
Regarding the opponent he expects tomorrow, Real Sociedad, he considered that “we’re playing better as we focus solely on ourselves. Real Sociedad is a great squad, and very dangerous because they have four midfield and attacking players who are very good in Xabi Prieto, Zurutuza, Griezmann and Tamudo. These players could play in any team in the top six. We’re going to play our game and try to cancel those guys out, and to do that, we’ll have to make a great effort. If we don’t take the pitch thinking that we’re facing good players, we’ll have a rough go of it.”
There are direct match-ups this and next weekend that could benefit Atlético de Madrid in their path towards Europe. “We’re very excited about our own dynamic because things are going our way and we’ve regained self-assuredness. We have more confidence in what we’re doing. We have to try to play our game and there are direct match-ups, but if we don’t do what we have to, then it won’t help us at all. But I insist that we really depend on what we’re capable of doing.”
