Diego Simeone spoke to the media in the preview of the EA Sports League match against Betis. The red and white coach spoke about the bad scoring streak that Morata is going through, the cup elimination after the bad game in Bilbao, Griezmann's injury, the fight for the Champions League and the incidents in San Mamés, among other things.
Atlético is going through its worst moment of the season after the elimination in the Cup against Athletic. When asked how the team recomposed after that, the coach responded: “I think we had a good Cup until the Bilbao match, where they were superior and won deservedly. What life teaches me is to continue preparing for what is coming, which is Betis, which is what matters. “To try to play a good game and continue on the good path of the League.”
Regarding Griezmann's condition, Simeone did not want to give any clues: “The doctors will report on how he is evolving,” he said. Regarding whether Atleti would have met the objectives of the course if they finished fourth and if that would be enough for Cholo, the Argentine used his classic “game by game” to answer. “We live game by game, we don't analyze that far ahead.”
Regarding how he sees Rodrigo Riquelme, Simeone commented the following: «We all see something similar. In his last two interventions he has been better than in the previous ones. “That positions him in a place of competition that we want so that he can compete with Lino and that the team is better.”
Battle for the Champions League
As for whether he believes that the fight for the Champions League will be with Athletic or if he sees those ahead close, Simeone was optimistic: “I am always optimistic. I always try to think of good things. To get to where we want we need a great final effort in the League and obviously in the duel we have with Inter in the Champions League.
El Cholo also spoke about the team's defensive decline: «We have been talking about it since last season, it is not about this one. The team needs to improve intensity and defensive aggressiveness. It does not represent many of the collective. Sometimes the individual generates failures in the collective. “We have to improve individually so that good things appear collectively.”
Regarding the rival, Betis, Simeone said: «They have been improving in these last games, doing well in the League. The new guys who arrived in January have given him more offensive aggressiveness, more work in the middle. We know the coach, he has been working very well on his football idea for many years. We don't imagine anything other than a brave team, that wants to play like Betis always does. “Surely we will have to take the game to where we believe we can do damage.”
«Morata is going to score a goal tomorrow»
Regarding Álvaro Morata's situation and if he sees him anxious due to the lack of a goal, Simeone said that the Madrid native will score against Betis: “It happens to all forwards. When they don't go through a positive stage in terms of goals, there is always that feeling of lack of what matters to them, which is the goal. That's why they are forwards. But tomorrow he's going to score a goal.”
Regarding the San Mamés incidents, Simeone was concerned but did not want to make many comments about it out of respect for the injured: “It worries everyone, not just us specifically. To explain what happened would be to be in the position of victim, and I prefer not to have it at this moment.