News Focus
- Diego Simeone identifies emotional control as the key to victory against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final second leg
- Atletico Madrid face a triple injury scare involving Julian Alvarez, Alexander Sorloth and Giuliano Simeone
- The Argentine manager dismisses any worries about refereeing decisions ahead of the North London clash
- Simeone jokes that his team switched hotels because the new one was cheaper and their form has improved since October
Diego Simeone has warned his Atletico Madrid players that managing their feelings will prove vital if they hope to defeat Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final second leg. The Argentine boss spoke to journalists on Monday evening at the Emirates Stadium before his squad trained on the pitch.
Simeone admitted that once the referee blows the starting whistle, the outcome rests with the footballers on the grass. He explained that keeping calm under pressure matters more than tactical planning alone.
“No matter how much we analyse it, football is all about the players,” Simeone stated. “We need to manage our emotions effectively so that the game unfolds at its best. The game changes as soon as it starts; experience and time bring more composure – not necessarily ease, but the peace of mind needed to face a match like tomorrow’s.”
The manager hopes his side can reproduce their strong second-half display from the first leg in Madrid. “I’m going to try to get them to repeat the second half. If it’s that easy, it would be great,” he said with a smile.
Simeone appeared calm and refused to create controversy ahead of the big clash. He noted that both camps simply want the match to begin. “You’re looking for a headline or a phrase that stands out from the ordinary, but the coaches and players just want the game to start. Because it’s a football match, and whoever plays better will win. We’ll try to maximise our strengths, and the Arsenal manager will try to maximise theirs.”
When questioned about changing hotels compared to their previous visit in October – when they lost 4-0 – Simeone joked about the decision. “We’re better off now than we were in October. And the hotel was cheaper. That’s why we changed,” he laughed.
Three players face fitness tests before Tuesday’s kick-off. Julian Alvarez remains the biggest doubt, while Alexander Sorloth and Giuliano Simeone also need assessments.
“They moved around a bit yesterday, they’re better,” Simeone revealed. “We hope they can train well and we’ll decide how to start tomorrow morning. Julian [Alvarez] knows the English league very well, last week’s game was very good and hopefully he can respond in the way the game demands.”
Simeone showed no anxiety regarding the match officials. When asked about potential refereeing issues, he simply replied: “No.”
The clash begins at 21:00 CEST on Tuesday night in North London. Bookmakers list Arsenal as slight favourites, but Atletico travel with confidence after dominating large parts of the first leg at the Metropolitano.