Simeone shocks everyone over the La Liga title, and mocks the new refereeing decision
before he became their first victim
Hours before a clash that could turn the La Liga table upside down, Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone delivered a decisive message: this season's title will not go to whoever plays best, but to whoever endures the most.
Simeone faced the press on Friday to preview the eagerly awaited meeting with Levante, set for Saturday. The stakes are high. A Levante win could complicate the Rojiblancos' battle with Barcelona, while three points for Atletico would ignite the fight for top spot.
Managing effort is the secret word
Asked how to maintain the level, Simeone answered with his customary candour: "Reaching peak performance level in every match is extremely complicated. To achieve that, we must better manage our efforts, our substitutions, and how we motivate the players."
The Argentine added: "We need to produce a strong match against an opponent who plays well at home and has high spirits, and we must control the course of the match and inflict damage on them."
True to his famous "match by match" philosophy, Simeone refused to be drawn into early calculations about top spot.
A human message and a definition of the champion
There was a human side, too. Simeone opened his remarks on the tragic Orda train accident: "It is a difficult time, and we stand alongside the families of the victims. It is a complicated moment that requires great respect from us, and we hope things will improve in the future."
Just two points off the summit, Simeone summed up his title-race philosophy with a line that will headline the season: "We will go through good times, bad times, and average times, for this is life. Whoever can overcome the difficult moments is the one who will compete for the title."
The double meeting with Barcelona
A congested schedule will pit his team against Barcelona twice in less than a month, the result of league fixtures rescheduled around February's Spanish Super Cup. Simeone shrugged it off. "This is what happens every year. Match dates are brought forward because of the Super Cup. I don't see it as complicated. It's just a situation resulting from fixture congestion."
On the individual front, he praised Portugal's Morten Hjulmand: "He puts in a great deal of effort and competes with players like Koke, Barrios and Cardoso who are performing excellently, and Mendoza and Obeid are also performing well. Hjulmand has the right personality to reach what he aspires to."
Young Arnau earned a defence too, a player who "works with great enthusiasm, and the leap from his previous level to his current one is not easy". Simeone then backed Lookman despite the forward's dip in form: "We have great confidence in him, and we just have to trust in his development."
Mockery of the new decision
Simeone signed off with a sarcastic jab at the historic ruling that referees will give media interviews after matches, a change that kicks off for the first time after his side face Levante. "I hope they speak about me positively and that things go well," he said with a smile.
