Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone says his club are “destined to suffer” after beating Barcelona on their way to the Copa del Rey final. The Colchoneros held a four-goal lead at Camp Nou but defended to just one in the final 20 minutes.
After the game, Simeone breathed a sigh of relief and admitted that his strategy had completely collapsed. Throughout the game, Simeone said he realized Barcelona could pull off a comeback and praised the performances of Pedri and Rafinha, who were absent from the first leg.
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“I will focus on the first game. We had a great first half, with a very high tempo and a high intensity. In the second half, we managed to withstand their attack and I left that game very angry. We could have scored another goal; we needed one considering the situation was not in our favor. You may ask how I can be angry after winning 4-0, but I know the quality of these Barcelona players; they played very well.”
“Today Pedri and Raphinha are back, they are different, they play with a different rhythm and they played well in the first half. Even though the goal was due to inattention from a set piece and not from the opening game, it hurts. I thought we defended well overall. I don’t know if the 3-0 goal was offside; that put us in a difficult situation.”
“I liked Jimenez coming on; he gave us maturity and confidence. We couldn’t play the game we wanted, attacking more from the right wing, like the game between Llorente and Lookman. We couldn’t attack as much as we wanted because of their skills. Our people need the final and we want to give them everything to get what they want.”
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“We are destined to suffer”
Simeone explained that he felt his team had to do more but the pain was still necessary.
“I won’t accept it because we needed and could have played a better game offensively. We are Atletico and we are meant to suffer and always push ourselves to the limit but I don’t know where it will lead to us but believe me, the journey has been fantastic.”
“Our fans need a game like this. The lads are working incredibly hard to get to where our supporters want them to be. Now it’s time to get there in top form, work hard and eagerly await the final.”
Griezmann’s future in Orlando City attack
Arguably Atletico Madrid’s best player of the night was Antoine Griezmann, despite their attacking struggles. Speculation over a potential move to Orlando City continues, with Simeone making it clear he hopes he will be available for the final.
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“I hope so. He deserves it more than anyone. His performance today was unbelievable and his quality and talent will stay with him for the rest of his life. Is there anything I can add to that other than you all know how I feel about him? I love him and I always wish the best for him and I hope he can play in the final.”
Photo by Alejandro García/EFE
Simeone: “We plan to attack during the game”
The approach Atletico Madrid should take was a major talking point before the game, with such a large lead needing to be protected. Simeone claimed his side had no intention of dropping deeper to stay ahead, it was just Barcelona forcing them to do so.
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“We planned this game to be attacking. But that didn’t happen, or rarely happened. The good thing about this game is that anything you can imagine can happen, or can’t happen, because it also depends on the opponent. The opponent was better; their intensity in the first half was very high. Conde and Balde had to come off because they gave a huge effort. In order to compete at the highest level, you have to play like this and I think that will be very useful for the next games.”
“They took away the game time we needed. At home we had that time. We played with more intensity then. That’s why we scored four goals. Today was more difficult. But I leave with joy and a great effort that knows how to suffer. This is part of a two-legged tie.”
“I hope we can meet in the Champions League quarter-finals”
The mutual respect between Simeone and Hansi Flick was once again on display as the pair chatted after the final whistle. If Atletico Madrid defeats Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League top 16 and Barcelona surpasses Newcastle United, the two teams will meet for the fifth and sixth time this season.
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“I told Flick they played very well. I hope we can meet in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. I think today, when the score was 3-0, I said: ‘This is Atletico.'”
“Pedri, Bernal… put in a huge effort. It was difficult to maintain the intensity of the first half. Jimenez’s arrival made us mature. And this maturity is what a team needs.”
