MADRID, 21 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coach of Atlético de Madrid, Diego Pablo Simeone, has assured that he is “not” “happy” with the team’s “irregular” season, and believes that he could have “done more” than he did, although he is satisfied that “Despite the difficulties” they have managed to tie the goal of the Champions League.
“I am not leaving happy. After having won LaLiga last season, I always had the illusion of being able to repeat. It is a good message that life gives: you have to learn continuously. The 4-4-2 and the 5-3-2 They produced a situation of dizziness in me between the two. I could have done more than I did,” he declared at the press conference prior to this Sunday’s duel against Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena.
In this sense, the Argentine coach considers that they have completed an “irregular” campaign. “It was an irregular season, a season we weren’t used to conceding so many goals, we lost a lot of games. What strengthened us much more is that even so, with all the difficulties we’ve been through, we’ve been able to reach the ‘Champions’ two games before finishing LaLiga”, expressed.
However, he thinks they have improved since they found a new focus. “Since we were able to find that goal of ‘the 14-game League’, we followed a route quite similar to what we normally do. That was thanks to the mental work that the team had. In the ‘Champions’, beyond not having won any home game, we competed very well, it was one of the best we have competed in. I agree that it was a difficult, complex, irregular season, with a lot of self-criticism, but also with a lot of certainties”, he stressed.
In addition, he broke down everything that happened in this course. “We suffered Trippier’s absence since he arrived, because of his shoulder, then his departure, we couldn’t resolve that space as I would have liked. We delayed Marcos to a place where he doesn’t feel as comfortable, where he can’t show all the potential he has. showed last season. I’m responsible for that,” he said.
“Wass arrived and could not get involved because he was injured… We have suffered a lot with the central defenders, they have had many injuries and relapses. It seems like an excuse, but they are realities. I could not solve all this in the best way. We were able to maintain a little more the stability in Savic and in Giménez and in these last ten games the numbers began to change; we scored more goals, the team began to defend stronger and began to have a regularity that characterizes us in the Spanish championship”, he added.
He also explained that the “self-criticism” made by the team “is harder” than that made by the journalists. “We want to win, the club’s objective is to be in the ‘Champions’ and ours, to become champion. They have been at the club for many years, you know how I live, I am not going to change game by game. You have to focus your energy on what is close, and being all together, everything is easier”, he asserted.
Regarding the possibility of incorporating new players in the transfer market, the Atletico coach did not hide that they will seek to strengthen some positions. “We have an important squad, in each of the places we have players who can generate what we want. We don’t need many footballers for next season, we do need some who can come to reinforce some place that needs new energy,” he said.
Finally, Simeone spoke about the keys to face this Sunday’s game against the San Sebastian. “We have to take the game to where we think we can hurt them. We will find ourselves with a team that plays very well, that has a very regular structure,” he said.
“It’s a team that has been growing year after year, like Betis, Sevilla, Villarreal or Athletic, teams that are getting closer to us. It will be a good game. We want to close an irregular season in the best way” , ended.
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