Simeone says resilience will decide the title and jokes about referee interviews

On the eve of the match against Levante, Diego Simeone offered a distinctive view of the Liga title race: Spain’s champions will not necessarily be the team that plays best, but the one that shows the greatest resilience. The Atlético de Madrid coach was speaking at a press conference on Friday, ahead of a game scheduled for Saturday.

The stakes are significant for both teams in the contest for first place. A Levante win could hinder the Rojiblancos’ progress in their battle with Barcelona, while an Atlético victory would intensify the fight at the top of the table.

Simeone stressed how difficult it is to sustain the highest level in every match. “Reaching the highest level of performance in every game is extremely complicated. To do that, we need to manage our efforts, substitutions and the way we motivate the players better,” he said. He also said his team would need a strong performance against an opponent that plays well at home and has high morale. In his view, Atlético must control the course of the match and hurt the opposition.

Rather than look too far ahead in the standings, the coach returned to his “match by match” principle. His view of the title race, however, was clear: “We will go through good periods, bad periods and average periods. That is life. The one who can overcome the difficult moments is the one who will compete for the title.” He also pointed to a crowded schedule that will see his team face Barcelona twice in less than a month, following a rearrangement of league dates linked to the Spanish Super Cup in February. On the matches being brought forward, he played down the issue: “This happens every year: matches are moved forward because of the Super Cup. I don’t find it complicated; it is simply a situation caused by the run of games.”

Simeone also praised several players. He commended Morten Hjulmand’s effort in competition with Koke, Barrios and Cardoso, and named Mendoza and Obed among those performing well. On Arnau, he noted that moving from his previous level to his current one was not easy. He also reiterated his confidence in Lookman, saying the team needed to believe in his progress despite the fact that he has yet to return to his best form.

The press conference also touched on the decision to have referees take part in media interviews after matches. Kooora reports that the measure is due to take effect for the first time after the game against Levante. Simeone responded with a touch of irony: “I hope they speak well of me and that everything goes well.” At the start of his remarks, he had also expressed support for the families affected by the train accident in Orda, describing it as a difficult period that, in his view, calls for great respect.