Simeone: “The club and I are still in good harmony, I'm happy”

Simeone attended the media in the Atlético-Athletic preview tomorrow (16:15), even with the painful defeat against Cornellà and the doubts that the coach cast about his future fresh in memory.

Athletic Shield / Flag

Are you worried that time will prevent them from playing?

We trained well on Friday, cold and snowy. Today the situation did not allow us to train and we looked for alternatives. I hope that tomorrow the field will be taken care of in the best way.

How does the defeat of the Cup affect the dressing room?

A defeat is never good and it always has its moment of transition to chew it up, put it aside and understand that there is another competition where the team is very good and we have to continue like this. There is a tough game against rival with a new coach, with clear ideas and that in all the teams where he has been he has generated a great game strategy and with personality. Athletic has important players, we saw it against Barça, where they played a very good game.

How are João Félix and Giménez with their injuries?

João and José moved with their teammates today, so they will surely be summoned and as a result of what we see in the hours before the match, we will decide.

Have you spoken to the club after Cornellà and those words you said about the future?

We always talk to the club, we don't stop talking either when we win or when we lose. We are on the same page as always.

The Cup has not gone well in recent years, why? What do you say to whom you think the tournament is thrown?

They are interpretations, each one can interpret as they want each situation. We understand that in the two games we played, against Cultural and Cornellà, they were superior and we brought in people who we thought could get the result forward. The result is my responsibility. There is no more to explain. They were superior, they beat us. In this tournament the one who makes a mistake loses, they were better with respect, work and humility.

What should the '9' be like when he arrives at Atleti?

We talk with the club about what can happen in the market, about departures and arrivals and we will see if the conditions that suit the club and the player are met so that the arrival of a footballer is made or not.

Some people think that what he said was a strategy, others compare him to Milan …

It was difficult trying to explain sensations and feelings when one expressed oneself. Whoever receives it interprets it. I am quite sincere and I always say that I think they can play tomorrow and I really live with game by game. It is logical that each one interprets and looks for why and for how much. I always say that they can kick me out tomorrow and I understood from commenting on what I said. I am very happy at Atlético, we compete very well, we come from a year of transition to one where the team is much more forceful, continuous and balanced in the League. There is not much else. Everyone is free to think what they prefer. There are always those who have that expected malice, but we calmly continue to support it.

After a defeat like this, do you get angry with the group or do you love it?

First, we look at ourselves as a coaching staff and when there are players with so much filming, I feel responsible, because later when it is their turn they have not been able to respond. Maybe the players lacked that time to demonstrate and it's my fault because I couldn't give it to them before. I think about what I can improve and I know that I have a very good team, but that the other day he couldn't play the game he wanted.