Diego Pablo Simeone He attended the media in the previous visit to Betis and hours before the Classic that faces his two immediate pursuers. The coach talked about his rival and how to try to overcome the absence of Luis Suárez, injured for three weeks (and suspended for this game, like Marcos Llorente).
Are you more comfortable when public opinion favors you or when it doesn't give you options?
You know me, I do not get excited with admiration at a good time or get depressed when it is a complex situation. I work in the same way, looking for the end that is what counts and the only thing that matters is match by match. Betis has been doing very well, especially in the last ten rounds at least.
Should footballers take a step forward?
I think they are having a very important season, especially in the league, with growth that we were looking for and expected from last season to this one. Hopefully we can keep it up, giving everyone their best in tomorrow's game.
On Thursday there was a group lunch, how do you feel the spirits of the squad?
Such a meal always works. In this period that we almost cannot, because society is going through a difficult time, we had the possibility of being together in an open place, like in training, but in another place and it always adds up. Determinant is what we do on the field, what we express in the game…. Tell our people that you know us, they know how we are, what idea we have and what we are going to look for. Many years. I don't like talking, the facts count.
Are you worried about the lack of effectiveness going to door?
You can train, yes, and we are busy trying to improve. But that's why there are players who score 25 or 30 goals and there are those who score 5, this is not news. We lose Suárez, we already had him lost and he is very decisive because of his forcefulness. We have Correa, who needs a revalidation, I imagine João as against Chelsea … I always look at the positive and I see many positive things. I trust my players. I know the squad that we have formed and we come in continuous growth, especially in the League, hopefully we can maintain it.
Do you share the message of ‘against all, against all’?
We always play against everything and everyone, right? Do you think it is played differently?
Of all the factors to fight for the title, how much does luck with the referees influence?
They know what my idea is. Fighting the last five days of a league so complex, so competitive and so tough, where Madrid and Barça have us used to the fact that in the last ten years they always win except in 2014, we ask that. Hopefully we get to those five dates. Before Luis said 10 days, but time has passed and I say the last five.
How do the casualties of Llorente and Suárez change your plan?
They are not there, but the leading role of many players that we have who score goals, such as Lemar, Carrasco, Correa, João, Saúl …, the aerial game with Giménez, Hermoso, Savic … To win you need all the team and when one has the need to compensate for the absence of Suárez, who has scored 19 goals, obviously calls for strength in the entire group to protect himself.
Will you see the Classic? What do you expect for Atlético?
We will see, of course, it is a world match, everyone wants to see it. Two very strong teams, who started the season badly, but are both in a very good moment, Barça in the League and Madrid in the League and Champions. We will look at it and the result will not change much. Our goal is to hurt Betis, who have been working very well.
What will be the keys to the meeting?
They have a very good associative game, they generate goal situations, they manage to position themselves well to attack, with very talented individuals, with band players who redouble and are deep … On our part, being a block, which we were ten years ago and what we have to remain if we want to compete against the best.