Sporting or Arsenal in the semi-finals? Diego Simeone responds | OneFootball

Atlético de Madrid secured a place in the Champions League semi-finals after eliminating Barcelona - which was reflected in Raphinha’s anger - and at the end of the match, Diego Simeone was asked about the next opponent… which could be Sporting. The Argentine coach, however, chose a response that left room for interpretation and quickly sparked a reaction among fans.

Faced with the possibility of taking on the lions or Arsenal, Simeone was direct, yet enigmatic. “Either one. We need to rest, because we have a final on Saturday”, he said. A simple phrase, but one that shows the Madrid side’s total focus on the immediate schedule.

The “colchoneros” reach this stage of the competition after an intense tie, decided by a 3-2 aggregate win over Barcelona, which boosts the Spanish team’s confidence. Even so, managing the players’ fitness has emerged as a priority, especially with the Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad on the horizon.

On the other side, Sporting continue to fight for a historic place in the semi-finals of Europe’s richest competition, knowing they will face an extremely competitive opponent if they confirm qualification. But first, they will have to get past Arsenal.

Sporting return to action this Wednesday, 15 April, against Arsenal. Against the English side, the match will be played at 8:00 pm at the Emirates Stadium.

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