Asked about a more severe yardstick with Atlético, the Argentine stated that the decision of the partial closure is “arguable”
MADRID, 12 Apr. (SportsFinding) –
The coach of Atlético de Madrid, Diego Pablo Simeone, assessed on Tuesday UEFA’s decision to partially close the Wanda Metropolitano due to the “discriminatory conduct” of the rojiblancos fans at the Etihad, a decision that the club has appealed and that the coach He hopes that it will be resolved “so that it is equal for all”, since he wants “people to be” in the stadium, in an “important match” against Manchester City.
“You are journalists and you have a better opinion of this. Today you have reminded me of what happened in Manchester (against United at Old Trafford, when bottles and other objects were thrown during the coach’s exit to the locker room). We want our people to be, It’s an important game. Hopefully it can be resolved so that it’s equal for everyone,” Simeone asked at the press conference prior to the quarter-final second leg against City this Wednesday (9:00 p.m.) in the Champions League.
The sanction imposed by UEFA 48 hours before the match ordered “the partial closure” of the rojiblanco stadium and reported that Atlético de Madrid must communicate prior to the match “the sector or sectors to be closed, which must include at least 5,000 seats” .
The Argentine, asked if there is a more severe yardstick for Atlético, assured that there is not on the issue of expulsions of players, although it is more “debatable” with this latest sanction against the club by the governing body of football European. “I am not in a position to be the lawyer who decides what is fair and what is not. Luckily nothing hit me, he remained anonymous, we had left him behind,” he commented on the episode he experienced at Old Trafford.
On the other hand, Simeone addressed the debate about the different styles that were seen on the pitch at the Etihad and the criticism that his conservative approach has received in Manchester. “I was never contemptuous of a colleague of mine, I always put myself in his place. When one is contemptuous of a colleague, I don’t share it,” he said.
“I HAVE NEVER BEEN DISREGARDING TO A COLLEAGUE OF MINE”
“The opinion of people who have not played for a long time and want to be important… The fish dies by mouth, words are free. Everyone has their ways, I will always respect my colleagues,” he added on the subject.
Thus, he praised City again, a team that “plays very well, with very fast transitions, with small spaces used in the best way”, but Simeone appealed to the “illusion” generated by the result in the first leg, aware that “only with the illusion is not enough”.
“We are not going to stray too far from what we do, looking for the right times. Hopefully we can take advantage of the counterattacks with greater precision, that our players have a fantastic night. Anything can happen in a game,” he said.
He doesn’t expect big changes in City’s approach either. “They are going to play in the same way, they have an installed game philosophy that is highly applauded. They have a great coach, very good footballers, it will be a team that attacks, that presses… It will be important what we can do,” he stressed. .
Finally, he confessed that Yannick Carrasco “could have a place” in the starting eleven, acknowledging that they need the Belgian player “from last season”, who is “very decisive” for Atlético when he plays at “that level”.