Diego Pablo Simeone, Atlético coach, spoke to the media from Wanda Metropolitano, after having overcome COVID and therefore having LaLiga’s authorization to lead the team from the bench.
The losing streak ends …
Winning was tremendously important and the players showed it by how they faced the game. The reality is the results and in the previous games we did good things, but the mistakes hit us more than we deserved. So we did not control the forcefulness and this time the team was orderly, intense, from less to more… With the 1-0, paths were opened and the result could have been broader.
Did you like defensive work?
We are working to find consistency in the defensive aspect, which is always important. The collective work has been very good and against a team that was in good shape, which we had to go through in qualifying.
There have been no individual errors …
It was seen as a serious, tough, strong team that knew what it needed. When there were spaces, he ran; when it was time to close, it did. It was important.
Feel like Trippier is fired?
There are millions of reasons. He is an extraordinary player, he has always given us very good things. It is important to us. It will depend on him what happens. We want him to stay and we will look for him, but no one can be kept in life.
Is this the team you like to watch?
I like what I have seen, I feel identified. A great match individually and collectively. The Correa thing is to stand out for the forcefulness and it is clear that he is a forward, but we often use him in another sector.
Why have you recovered the 4-4-2?
We ended up with three behind because they had two forwards. When we went from 4-4-2 to 5-3-2 last season, great things were seen. The team responded and came out champion. There is no system that one says ‘this is it’, but is marked by the players. And this time the Atleti we wanted was seen
Are you worried about Suarez?
No, I saw it with intention, I saw it within the game. When a footballer like him is competitively like this to give us everything he has, he is welcome.