Simeone on turning boos into cheers: "We need to win the title" | OneFootball

Diego Simeone was blunt when asked how he plans to change the boos with which Atlético de Madrid fans saw the team off in their last match. “We have to win the championship, there’s no better way,” he stated at a press conference.

The Colchonero coach spoke ahead of the match against Levante, which will be played this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. away from home, and emphasized that “the people who go to the stadium need to feel that a title can be won.” He also added: “There are no guarantees, and no one gives them to you. Today we are here, and possibly tomorrow we’re not.”

Regarding the criticism after Wednesday’s home loss to Bodo Glimt, which will force them to play the playoffs in the Champions League, the coach stuck to the same idea. “When the fans sense that the chance to win the championship is far away, the boos appear and they are understandable,” he said.

Cholo also addressed the criticism he received for taking Pablo Barrios off when the team needed to turn the result around, stressing that “he is a very important player who plays every three days, and not having a substitute means we have to protect him.” He added: “I don’t think I’m stupid.”

Regarding that decision, Simeone justified his choice. “I have no doubt that I did the right thing, because my idea is that he can start the next match and give us what we need. Then we’ll have a rest ahead of Thursday’s clash against Betis in the Copa del Rey,” he concluded.

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