Coach blames Richard Ríos for Atlético snub: I just can't... | OneFootball

The defeat of Atlético against Benfica began to take shape with the goal from Richard Ríos – who scored for the first time. At the end of the match, Pedro d’Oliveira, coach of the Alcântara team, did not feel that the Colombian’s goal had dashed his team’s ambitions, as they gave everything on the pitch.

After the match, speaking to the press present at the Estádio do Restelo, the Atlético coach began by praising his team’s work: “A great sense of pride. As long as our legs held out, we looked them in the eye and made things difficult for one of the best teams in the world. Pride.”

Asked about the strategy he used to face José Mourinho’s team, Pedro d’Oliveira noted that Atlético presented themselves in the same way as in other matches: “It was very much about maintaining our identity, so that anyone watching could see what it means to be Atlético.”

“If we swapped the team on the other side, our attitude would be the same. We were brave. Credit to Benfica in the second half. When our legs gave out, our courage didn’t,” reiterated the Atlético coach, who was proud of his team’s dedication.

Finally, Pedro d’Oliveira does not believe that Richard Ríos’s goal broke his team’s spirit, given the narrow margin: “I can’t say that. At 1-0 we’re always in the game. If it were the other way around, Benfica wouldn’t have let the game slip either.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.