Simeone: “I don't stop at criticism or flattery either”

Atlético coach Diego Pablo Simeone spoke to the media on the eve of the game that his team will face tomorrow against Huesca at the El Alcoraz stadium.

This season you have to reduce the euphoria and manage the flattery?

I do not stop at criticism and not at flattery. They are part of the opinion that journalism needs to convey about what it sees and their work must be respected. We have to go game by game. Our rival played very good games and tomorrow will be a difficult game on a field where they need to be strong.

Do you think Costa is not going to leave, as the president assures?

When the president speaks, everyone behind him. I agree with what the president commented.

Should we let people dream?

We cannot handle people's thoughts. The only thing we can control is what we do have to do and the responsibility we have in the face of competition. The competition teaches us every day that the Spanish championship is very difficult. All teams are growing and always compete very well. To have a good game tomorrow we have to play a game similar to the one we tried the other day at the start of LaLiga.

Is maintaining a good environment essential to achieve the objectives?

In the 11 games after the quarantine, except for the last game against Real and Leipzig, I think it was a very good stage. We improve in training, in security to push higher. We had more goals, they gave us more penalties. We always present possibilities to do damage in almost every game. We are maintaining that line of work and hopefully we can sustain it. To achieve this, we need a decision on our part and on the part of the players, who are the ones who clearly transmit what the team wants.

Have you studied any formula to avoid missing so many penalties?

It is always noted that it is ruled that Atlético is the team that has missed the most penalties in the history of the clubs. Let's see if we can improve it. We try to train, but it is difficult because the adrenaline of the match is not there. Saúl, who is the last to shoot, has always responded very well in this task, as against Barcelona. It's football and there is also a goalkeeper in front of them, who are getting better and better prepared for this situation. We must seek to improve it within that it is a unique moment in which a player and the goalkeeper face each other and the decision is either a goal or it is all wrong.

Is Luis Suárez ready to start? Are you worried that it will take center stage over the group?

We have lived with him since his arrival. Absolute humility, despite the hierarchy and the trajectory it brings. He wants to start showing from the field how important he can be for the team and in the day-to-day for the group. The dressing room has very noble people who need to come to help them improve the team and continue to form a group. Luis and the group are behaving in this dynamic, from what you can see. Tomorrow we will see who starts. Costa and Suárez can start together or separately, but I imagine that in the 90 minutes they will both play, together or separately.

Can you see Cavani coming this season?

I'm not talking about the players we don't have on the squad and who can't help us tomorrow, which is the important thing. Everyone knows Cavani, but we only care about the players who can lead us to the goals we set ourselves every year.

Where is the imperfection of the VAR?

I understand your question, but please understand my silence because we have to be very respectful now with what we say in public. If you did not have an opinion before, imagine now.

Are you worried about your players traveling to play the CONMEBOL qualifiers?

They are trying to live with this virus that hurts us a lot. In our part, which is football, we continuously have controls and attention so that everything can continue to work. I suppose they will take the necessary responsibilities so that, when our footballers travel, this illusion of continuing to work and continue fighting against this virus is maintained.

What style do you expect from this Atlético?

Whoever wins matches, which is the best style in the world. Either way, but win.

What does playing with Luis Suárez and Diego Costa bring you? Do you think they are compatible like when Falcao and Costa or Villa and Costa played?

A better hierarchy and better functionality of them, we will always have more possibilities. Diego is different from Luis, since he moves to the sides, stretches the team, throws many more unmarked spaces. What we have always seen from Suárez are movements closer to the area, short movements, with a lot of presence in the goal zone and, above all, with an associative game from behind that allows us to reach the team with more people. Of course they can play together, but you have to see when and in what situation. The important thing is that both of them give us all the fire they have. Both Diego with his personality and Luis with his hierarchy are very important players.