Madrid, Spain – Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone ignored talk of Barcelona’s absences ahead of the two teams’ clash on Thursday in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium.
Simeone, in comments reported by Mundo Deportivo, said he is only focused on his team, noting the absence of Barrios and some other players. He stressed the need to approach the match according to its specific circumstances and concentrate on improving performance.
He added that the coach is the first to criticize himself, explaining that his team delivered a near-perfect performance against Real Betis in the quarterfinals, despite a less than ideal start. He emphasized the ongoing work to improve the players’ level and maintain their readiness.
The Atletico coach stressed the importance of fan support in tomorrow’s match, urging them to transfer their positive energy from the stands to the pitch. He also emphasized the need to impose their style of play against Barcelona to neutralize their threat, both on counter-attacks and when in possession.
Simeone concluded his remarks by emphasizing that qualifying for the final would be the result of collective effort, stressing that his team would enter the match with a winning mentality on their home ground.
