Atlético's coach, Diego Pablo Simeone, has spoken telematically with the media in the preview of tomorrow's LaLiga match against Celta in Balaídos at 4:00 p.m.
Are you happy after the market closes?
I am very happy with the squad that was closed. It will depend on everyone being available to give their best. Any of the 20-21 players we have can play. I hope I can manage it in the best way so that everyone is happy and happy and can respond in the best way. I think there is a good squad.
Do you think that a player's performance depends on position or is it more conditioned by attitude?
Each position on the field can improve a player with a suitable system. Teams continually change positions. The characteristics of each one can influence that it plays better in one place than another. A footballer when he plays where he feels most comfortable feels better. The important thing is to see if that preference benefits the team. What we coaches look for is to get the best for what is most important, which is the team.
Is there an option for Costa, João Félix and Suárez to coincide? Do you expect signings?
The club always handles all the options that there are to improve the squad, if any. I stay away from that because what matters are the seven games we have in 22 days. Of course the three of them can play together, they and many of the players we have. It will depend on the situation and the state of the way each one is in order to share the field. We hope to choose the best possible to find the best we want, which is the next game.
Was Thomas' departure a surprise?
In these situations of the clauses, we can no longer give an opinion because they are decisions that are made from this possibility. As for Thomas, everything that happens to the players who have given me many things makes me happy. At first it was difficult for him to find his place with us, but then it was important. You will surely do well where you have chosen to go. We wish you the best.
What does the team win and what does the team lose with the departure of Thomas and the arrival of Torreira?
I'm not going to talk about Thomas because he's no longer with us. What Torreira is going to bring to the team is energy, vitality, recovery, dynamics in the middle. He had not played for a while, he comes with great enthusiasm, a lot of enthusiasm and I hope he will respond when he has to do so in accordance with what we expect from him.
Have you talked to Kondogbia about getting him to take over from Thomas?
I did not speak to Kondogbia and I do not speak of the guys who are not with us. I'm only talking about the ones we have and I'm only interested in tomorrow's game.
Are you afraid of the FIFA Virus? Has the break been good or bad for you?
For work it was good for us because we were able to work better with some players who were not well due to not having preseason due to the circumstances of the calendar. As for the FFA Virus, there are important protocols for taking care of footballers and I trust that they will work. Stopping is very sad and painful and we must try to keep this going and, obviously, all the possibilities that we are given to take care of ourselves must be fulfilled in order to be able to live with these circumstances that we are having to live.
Are you considering putting João Félix inside left?
He is a very important player for us. Where we put it, it will be able to give us important things when it is in its best shape. I liked him in the matches with his team for his work and his adaptation to what the team needed. We know that he has talent and that at moments of the game he can appear, but that step that I seemed to see with his team showing commitment, intention and enthusiasm for what the team needed speaks highly of him. We need that too. I can put it in the four places above. He falls a lot to the left because he likes to start from there and having two forwards like Suarez and Costa, if he is there, they have more chances to pass. Then you have to defend with another structure that supports this possibility.
How do you take the demand to the club? Do you think it is fair?
I do not receive the demand from outside, I have it with myself. Since we arrived, we set out to form everything that we have generated over the years. Being stable, which is the most difficult thing in football. Obviously, we will go the same way. The team excites me because they want, they have ambition, they want to compete. Against Granada we were lucky to score, against Huesca we were not so fine in front of goal and with Villarreal we lacked lucidity, but the intention is. Let's hope we can meet tomorrow with a good team game.