Diego Simeone revealed to Italian football legends Alessandro Del Piero and Alessandro Costacurta that Atletico Madrid has understood the necessity of “hurting” Barcelona on the field, emphasizing that failure to do so will result in Barcelona dominating them.
Simeone’s Atletico Madrid successfully eliminated Barcelona from the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate victory. Following the match, Simeone, who has prior coaching experience in Italy with Catania and played for clubs like Pisa, Lazio, and Inter Milan, shared his insights with Sky Sport Italia.
Simeone Discusses Atletico Madrid’s 1-2 Victory Against Barcelona with Italian Legends
When questioned by Fabio Capello about whether Atletico should have maintained a higher defensive line in the final ten minutes, even with Barcelona playing a man down, Simeone explained the realities of player fatigue on the pitch.
“You know well that sometimes what one wants is not what the players can give,” Simeone stated. “Sometimes the coaches shout, but the players are like: ‘Gaffer, I just can’t get there.’ Even with one man down, they couldn’t get there. We knew we had to keep a higher line. I kept telling Julian: ‘Mark Pedri, go on the right.’ But he said: ‘Mister, I’m dead.’ I was angrier after the first leg, because we played one man up for 45 minutes, so I was angry when I left. If you don’t score against them, you lose, because they are so strong. Even if you play behind the ball, you’ll concede in the end.”
Former Italian defender Alessandro Costacurta commended Simeone for resting his key players in their preceding La Liga match, a decision that proved beneficial for the demanding Champions League encounter.
“On Saturday, we had made many changes to the lineup; everyone rested, knowing the effort we’d need today,” Simeone explained. “But, Mamma Mia, they play so well, they attack so well, they come from everywhere. Against them, we have understood that we have to hurt them; otherwise, they will.”
Having guided Atletico Madrid to the Champions League semi-finals four times under his tenure, with two appearances in the final, Del Piero inquired if Simeone felt a “special” energy surrounding the team this season.
“Yes, I do. And there is,” Simeone concluded with a smile.
