Diego Simeone praised Atlético Madrid’s performance against Manchester United, highlighted the progress of Julián Álvarez and several other players, and discussed the importance of managing Pablo Barrios’ fitness. The Atlético manager also addressed the difficult moment surrounding Koke’s family loss and praised Cristian Romero’s impact on the team.
“We know how important Koke is to the club. It was a difficult moment for everyone. He has a wonderful family around him, and we are sharing in his grief today. He is a strong guy, and with such a lovely family by his side, he will get through this difficult time.”
Simeone said Julián Álvarez is getting closer to reaching the level Atlético supporters expect from him, pointing to his recent performances and goal-scoring contribution.
“The fans’ appreciation is linked to what a footballer delivers. They want to see the best from every player, and Julián is giving them that. He had a good second half against Alavés, and today he managed to score. He is getting closer to becoming the player every Atlético fan wants to see, because we need him.”
Simeone also suggested that Álvarez and Jonathan David could feature together, emphasizing the importance of competition within the squad.
“They can also play together. It is good to have strong competition within the squad. Internal competition and having important players have always been among our strengths when we have won trophies.”
The Atlético boss stressed the importance of carefully managing Barrios’ workload as the midfielder continues to develop physically and improve his performances.
“We are trying to manage his playing time in the best possible way, and he is getting better every day, becoming stronger. We hope to manage his workload properly throughout the many matches we have to play. I would love to play him for the full 90 minutes, but we have to look after him, and we will do so to ensure he can perform at his best throughout the season.”
Simeone praised Cardoso’s recent performances and highlighted Hjulmand’s contribution after coming off the bench, stressing the importance of having a squad capable of competing for places.
“Cardoso is in a very good moment. He began performing at a high level against Real Sociedad. We need this player; he is the kind of footballer the club went out to sign, and competition for places benefits us in every way. Hjulmand came on well, and I liked the way he entered the game, because it was not an easy moment to come on. This is a team that needs to rely on everyone.”
Reflecting on Atlético’s performance against Manchester United, Simeone highlighted the importance of their early goal and their ability to overcome the opposition’s high press. He also felt his team created enough opportunities to extend its lead.
“We were fortunate to start with that goal, which came from a very nice move. We knew they would press high because they do it very well, but we also knew that if we could break through their pressing line, we would have some important opportunities.
“After that, we gradually steered the game toward situations where we could hurt them. We had several chances to extend our lead, and they also created some dangerous opportunities. However, overall, I think we played the better game, had more possession, and the team always tried to push forward and look for more goals.”
Simeone revealed that Atlético had been pursuing Cristian Romero for two years before finally bringing the defender to the club, praising his leadership, authority and humility.
“We had wanted Cuti for two years. We came close to signing him two years ago, but unfortunately, we had to wait another year. He is a different kind of player. He has authority, leadership, and qualities that you either have or you don't. He possesses them while remaining humble and respectful toward his teammates.
“He has only just arrived, but he already has an important role, and with every match, he is showing the kind of footballer he is.”
Despite Atlético’s attacking progress and their five-match winning run, Simeone insisted that the team still needed to improve defensively.
“We are scoring more goals than we were at the same stage last year, during this five-match winning run. When you score goals, it becomes much easier to control and manage games. We still need to improve our defensive balance, and we will work on that and focus our energy there.”
Speaking to Movistar, Simeone returned to the emotional circumstances surrounding Koke and praised his players for their performance and their gesture of support.
“The loss of a family member of a footballer and a person like Koke was painful. But the boys played a great game. They had the sensitivity to hold up his shirt in tribute to him during this difficult moment. We played an important match.”
Simeone was pleased to see Barrios get on the scoresheet, describing the goal as an important step in the midfielder’s continued development.
“It was a good attacking transition. Barrios needed a goal to help him take the next step in his development, which is to start contributing goals. We are happy for him.”
The Atlético manager also praised Lookman’s individual qualities and welcomed his return to the scoresheet, highlighting the forward’s instincts in following the play.
“He is a very important player. He has excellent qualities: he can score goals, take players on one-on-one, and much more. He hasn't quite been in a spell where all those qualities have been coming through, but he has found his scoring touch again. He showed good instincts by following the play, and the rebound fell kindly for him. We got a result we really needed.”
Simeone also addressed the handball decision involving Marcos Llorente, admitting that refereeing interpretations can sometimes be difficult to understand but insisting that Atlético had to accept the decision.
“Sometimes it is so difficult to understand the rules. If that is how they interpreted it, we have to accept it. Arguing about it won't change anything.”