Atletico Madrid Manager Diego Simeone says his club are ‘destined to suffer’ after overtook Barcelona en route to Copa del Rey final. Los Colchoneros took a four-goal lead at the Camp Nou, but found themselves defending a single-goal lead in the final 20 minutes.
After the match, Simeone appeared relieved and admitted that his strategy had been completely dismantled. Looking at the match as a whole, Simeone said he was aware that Barcelona could stage a major comeback and praised the performances of Pedri and Raphinha, who were not present in the first leg.
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“I would focus on the first game. We had an amazing first half, with very high pace and intensity. In the second half we managed to resist their attacks and I came away angry after that game. We could have scored another goal; we needed another one given the way the game went against us. You might be wondering how I could be angry after a 4-0 win, but I know what these players are capable of Barcelona; they are playing brilliantly.”
“Today Pedri and Raphinha came back, and they are different, they play at a different pace and they had a good first half. Although it hurts that the goals were due to lapses in concentration from set pieces rather than open play. I think we defended well overall. I don’t know if the 3-0 goal was offside or not; it put us in a difficult position.”
“I loved the introduction of Gimenez; he gave us maturity and confidence. We couldn’t play the game we would have liked, attacking more on the right flank, like the game between Llorente and Lookman. We couldn’t attack as we would have liked because of their talent. Our people need a final and we hope to give everything to give them what they want.”
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“We are doomed to suffer”
Simeone explained that he felt his team needed to do more in the future, but that suffering was still necessary.
“I wouldn’t have accepted it, because we needed it and could have played a better game offensively. We are Atletico, we are destined to suffer, to always surpass ourselves, but I don’t know what it will bring us, but believe me, the journey is fantastic.”
“Our fans needed a game like this. The boys are making an incredible effort to get to where our fans want them to be. Now it’s time to get there in top shape, work hard and look forward to the final.”
Griezmann’s future amid Orlando City attack
Atletico Madrid’s best player that night was arguably Antoine Griezmann, despite his offensive struggles. Speculation continues over a possible move to Orlando City, and Simeone has made it clear he wants him to play in the final.
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“I hope so. He deserves it more than anyone. His performance today was incredible, and his quality and talent will stay with him for the rest of his life. What more can I add to what you all know I feel for him? I love him, I always want the best for him and I hope he can play in this final.”
Image via Alejandro García/EFE
Simeone: “We planned the match to attack”
The approach Atletico Madrid should take was a major talking point before the match, with such a big lead to protect. Simeone claimed his team had no intention of hanging back to maintain their lead, and that was simply what Barcelona forced them to do.
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“We planned the match to attack. And that didn’t happen, or it happened very rarely. The good thing in this match is that everything you can imagine can happen or not, because it also depends on the opponent. The opponent was better, they had a very high intensity in the first half. Koundé and Baldé had to come out because their efforts were great. To compete at the highest level, you have to play like that, and I think it will be very useful for the future.
“They took the time we needed to play. At home we had that time. We played with greater intensity then. That’s why we scored four goals. Today it was more difficult. But I leave with the joy and the great effort of knowing how to suffer. That’s part of this competition when it’s a two-legged match.”
“I hope we meet in the quarter-finals of the Champions League”
The mutual respect between Simeone and Hansi Flick was again evident, with the pair seen chatting after the final whistle. If Atletico beats Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona gets past Newcastle United in the Champions League round of 16, the two teams will face each other for the fifth and sixth time this season.
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“I told Flick that they played brilliantly. I hope we end up in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. I think today, with the score 3-0, I said: ‘It’s Atleti.'”
“Pedri, Bernal… made a huge effort. It was difficult to maintain the intensity of the first half. The entry of Giménez gave us maturity. And this maturity is necessary within a team.”
