Simeone: “Rodri deserves it, we fought a lot for him to stay”

«I always thought that the whip no longer exists, it is past times. Now people relate by connection, by speaking, by understanding, by feeling represented in what they do through the game, and I think that is the way,” said Simeone at the press conference prior to the red and white team’s debut in the Cup. of the King before the Vic.

The Argentine coach does not seek “anything other than to evolve from emotional contact.” «In the end we are people and I don’t think a footballer forgets to play ball or score goals. You have to generate that tranquility, that confidence to feel strong. The whip is an old stage that I think is left behind,” he stressed.

Simeone sat in the press room with the hope of playing a “good game and moving forward” in the cup competition that generates “excitement”, despite the team’s current bad streak. «We had just played a very good game against Lille, which happened a week ago, and, above all, in the first half we did not play a good game against Betis and in the second half it improved, intermittently, but at least from the beginning. what was wanted,” he confessed.

Atlético de Madrid He suffered his first defeat in LaLiga EA Sports last Sunday at the Benito Villamarín (1-0) in a game in which the team lost “many balls at the start”, which forces it to “work to find similarities to the plays that are going to happen in the game.” “It is clear that football, beyond the intensity, the enthusiasm, the desire, the energy that one has to put in, you have to have the calm to be able to play, because if you don’t have it, it is obviously very difficult to play,” he said.

Despite the bad streak that the red and white team is going through, ‘Cholo’ is “very well” at a stage in which “four important footballers have arrived.” «We have to manage and get the best out of them so that they help us. We have a very good squad and obviously we need to find the game that we had in large part against Lille, in large part of the second half against Leganés, games that obviously happened ten days ago,” stated the Argentine.

Clément Lenglet’s return to training begins to empty the red and white infirmary where Robin Le Normand, Pablo Barrios, Marcos Llorente and César Azpilicueta are still located. «They are different things. Pablo is perhaps the one who may be closest to returning. Let’s hope that when they return, it will be in the best way, if it is now with Las Palmas better, if it is with PSG very good, and if it is with Mallorca good too. And if not, we will look, as we have always looked for, for alternatives to resolve these matches,” he assured.

The Madrid boycott: “Everyone knows how to behave”

Simeone wanted to remember Rodrigo Hernández, with a red and white past, for his Ballon d’Or. «He deserves it. He is an incredible player, a player who has only been with us here for one season, but who has left a very good record,” highlighted the Argentine coach.

«We fought a lot for him to stay, he chose very well to go to City because, consequently, he has achieved many great things and improved himself even better in his football and grown as a footballer and, In that year he was there, he has given us many things. So, very happy for him, very deserved and, above all, for us who were once midfielders, it is good to recognize that work that often goes unnoticed, but that is a large part of what a team can generate,” he argued.

In this sense, regarding Real Madrid’s sit-in without attending the Ballon d’Or gala, apparently due to not awarding the trophy to Vinícius Jr, the former player wanted to show “respectful” towards the white club’s decision. «Everyone knows how they behave and why they do it.«, he concluded.

Finally, the Argentine coach did not forget to send a message of solidarity with the victims and those affected by the DANA that hit Castilla-La Mancha and Comunitat Valencina this Tuesday. “Our condolences to all the people of Valencia for the very difficult time they are going through, to accompany the families in our feelings and to be as close as possible to all this that has unfortunately happened,” he stressed.