Simeone : "We must continue working like this"
Diego Pablo Simeone, at the press conference, was happy for the pass to the quarterfinals of the team. The Buenos Aires coach advocates continuing working with humility in order to keep "improving".
The appearance of the stadium impressed Simeone at the beginning of the match. "I'm happy because there's a group of men who play football in an extraordinary way and have a huge passion for football. I am happy with the amount of people who were in the stadium, how nice it looked, with flags, guys, men and women. It was beautiful to see". On the match, Simeone admitted that "we found what we expected, especially at the beginning of the first half. Then we struggled because they settled and they arrived to the goal in more occasions and that led us to danger". The team must continue to work the same way to tackle a quarter-final that will be "difficult and complicated". "It's a good time, but as we are living it now, it would not stop me to imagine and enjoy it, it is not time for that. We expect dangerous and difficult quarterfinals. We need to rest and prepare to continue this work that we know we are doing well and that it is the result of the work of the whole team. You have to keep the same waiting on Sunday to retake well", he said.
Our team lives football with passion The Milan tightened after the equalizer and put Atletico in troubles, something normal being a team with such "hierarchy". "There are always complications from the coach side. The one-nil goal was dangerous because the first goal would not change anything to them, as they seek for two goals or that first goal poking them in the match. The start was as expected, but after that the team did not reach the sides and they could not push as before. They are a team with hierarchy and they got better from their goal when they become complicated for us. We had to change to five in midfield to compensate the match and our second goal was welcome to take calm in the break and push higher in the second half, and that generated dangerous", indicated.
Diego Costa, Simeone said "he can improve. He is fit and has a mental strength and I'm sure he has a lot for growing. The Spanish team will make him grow by its different way of playing and by how well it adapts to all matches. That will make him to improve and he will be able to choose any destination he may propose. He is called to great things and everything that happens to him is thanks to his humility. No one gave him anything, and everything he´s got is based on his work and passion", he said. We expect difficult and complicated quarterfinals.
A victory like this "empowers" the team, but the team must continue working to the maximum, as it has being doing until now. "Victories make you strong, as long as you keep your feet on the ground and know what you have to do. We as a team need to teamwork, not get away from that identity we have had for some time. Obviously, the victory itself enhances the team because we will have two more matches of Champions, and with it, the ability to rotate the players in various positions for all of them to remain at top", he confirmed.
Finally , Simeone reiterated the "extraordinary" environment of the Vicente Calderon today. "The fans have been amazing. Things are as they want and how we want. We have found an extraordinary stadium. When we went out to the field and we show the flags, we lived an extraordinary football moment. It's not easy to make four goals to Milan , so it was an important victory", concluded.
