Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone gave an emotional press conference after the 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the Champions League. The Argentine specialist drew attention to the difficult personal moment that captain Koke is going through due to a loss in his family, and praised the team's reaction and cohesion.
The gesture to the captainThe Argentine began with words of support for the leader of the “mattresses“:
“Given the authority and importance that Koke has for the club, the moment was very difficult for absolutely everyone. He has a great family that supports him, and we are completely by his side on this sad day. With the people who love him, he will overcome this ordeal. The boys showed great sensitivity by raising his shirt to dedicate the match to him“, said Simeone.
The coach expressed satisfaction with the performance and dedication of Julián Alvarez:
“The audience always responds to what the players give on the pitch. Julián gives his all – showed it against Alaves, today he was close to scoring again and is increasingly becoming the player that Atletico fans want to see.“
Regarding the competition in attack between Alvarez and Jonathan David, El Cholo was adamant that the two can play together, and the high competition has always been a key factor in the trophies won by the club.
Rotations and young talentsSimeone also analyzed the condition of his key players in the midfield and defense:
“We are trying to carefully dose Barrios' workload. He is getting stronger every day. I would like to use him for 90 minutes, but we need to keep him in top form throughout the season. I am glad he scored after a great counterattack because he needed that goal for confidence.
Cardozo is also in a great period – he came on at a high level against Real and is showing exactly what he was brought in for. Morten has also been very involved, which gives us valuable alternatives“, concluded the Madrid coach.