Simeone: Effort is about mindset, sacrifice and the lads’ commitment | OneFootball

GOOD RESULTS IN RECENT YEARS

"I don't dwell on the past, I live in the present. I see that Madrid has grown in collective play, they have a team that attacks positionally very well, defensively there is a coach's work that involves him in the game and they press higher up. That's why they have won all the matches and we have to take the game where we can hurt them".

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF COACHES?

"I don't consider that we coaches are decisive, absolutely. The most valuable and the greatest are the footballers and they are the ones who, in the end, end up making the differences".

WHAT CHANGES DO YOU SEE BETWEEN XABI AND ANCELOTTI?

"I'm not the one to say the changes, I already made a comment about what I saw".

FEAR OF THE DIFFERENCE IN THE CLASSIFICATION

"When the matches start, the distances in the table do not appear. Then, obviously, during the course of the match, the quality of one team or another can fall on the side of the team that has the most points, which is why they have more points. I understand that it will be a tight match in the middle, where circulation and transitions will be decisive. I see and imagine that match".

EXCITEMENT BEFORE THE DERBY

"We have eight new players and we are in that process of trying to make a better team. I think we have done good things, to improve this start of the journey. And we hope on this path that we have to travel, to evolve better every day".

WHO DO YOU THINK IS BETTER? JULIÁN AND MBAPPE?

"That's up to you. I don't value the rivals. I see Julián very well, happy, very committed to the club and the team, people love him a lot and hopefully tomorrow, with his teammates, they can play a great team game".

IS MADRID STRONGER WITH VINICIUS OR WITHOUT HIM

"That's not a question for me".

DOES ATLÉTICO PLAY MORE THAN MADRID?

"At this moment we do not value this situation. We focus on how to play and face the match. Recover the legs from these upcoming matches, we play four matches in nine days. Be close to the players, let them know that they have to make a huge effort... There are four matches in nine days, with three days of rest, and the effort will depend on the mind, sacrifice, effort, the commitment of the boys and hopefully they can sustain it".

HOW IS BAENA? CAN HE START?

"He will have to start some match. Whether it's this one, the next one or the Celta, we'll see what the team needs first and what he can help us with his quality, hierarchy, visibility of play in the last meters, because he is one of the best".

BAENA'S MOMENT

"He will have to start some match, I don't know if this one, the Celta one or the Champions one. It will depend on what we need, he is one of the best players we have in terms of how he sees football in the final stretch. Whether he plays 15, 30 or 60 minutes, we hope that the time he gets, he does it in the best way and gives us a lot".

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM RUGGERI AND RASPADORI?

"I expect much more from them. Raspadori is training with more continuity, we are going to bring him to his best version, he has football, goal, break, vision of collective play. Matteo the same, the other day he entered well and has to give more. We need more and we are going to demand that they give us what we know they can give us".

HOW IS HANCKO?

"He can participate in both game situations, I have not yet finished closing the team, we have to see how the boys are".

JULIÁN, RELIEVED BY THE GOALS

"I don't see it that way, his first goal last year was in the fifth match and he ended up scoring 18 in the League. He is extraordinary, he is the best player we have and we will continue to take care of him to make him even better".

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