Diego Simeone talks Diego Costa, Griezmann, and his future
El Cholo spoke to the press ahead of the Audi Cup, alongside Klopp, Ancelotti, and Sarri. Atleti will face Napoli on Tuesday in Munich, Germany.
Diego Simeone appeared alongside Jürgen Klopp, Carlo Ancelotti , and Maurizio Sarri in the opening press conference of the Audi Cup, a pre-season tournament held in Munich. Simeone’s Atlético Madrid are joined by Liverpool, Bayern, and Napoli, and will play their first match against the Italian side on Tuesday.
‘El Cholo’ spoke about how the pre-season has gone so far, as well as the ongoing saga surrounding Diego Costa’s future.
Napoli game will be an important test
Pre-season in Mexico: “We are in an intermediate phase. We came out of the match we played in Mexico, and now we will face Napoli, and that will be important for showing us whereabouts we are. We are happy, enthusiastic, and it’s a joy for Atlético to play in this kind of tournament.”
Star players: “Let’s start by talking about the people that are here, they are very important. Above all, I’d like to praise the strength of the club in keeping hold of our important players, and besides, those players want to stay at Atlético. We don’t talk much about the presence of Vitolo and Costa, if they finally come, which we don’t know. We talk about the players who are going to start the league, which will be tough initially, mostly because we’ll be starting away from home.”
Griezmann: “It’s pleasing that the best clubs want our players.”
Battles on the pitch: “You’re never relaxed when you come to such an important stadium to play against a team like Bayern. We will play against Napoli, a team that plays well between the lines, and then we’ll have the chance to play Bayern or Liverpool in the following games.”
Diego Costa: 'we talk about our own players'
Diego Costa: “He isn’t our player, he is Chelsea’s. We talk about those who will start the season with us, those are the important ones to us.”
Dortmund: “There hasn’t been any contact with Borussia. As for management, I’m open to everything in the future, but right now I’m happy to be under contract at Atlético, with a strong relationship with the club. The hope is that we can continue growing together on this wonderful path that we have been on for six years.”
The Atlético team: “Beyond the transfer market, our priority is working with the team. That’s what we will base ourselves around. […] You don’t have to be obsessed with the names. We believe in the work of the team.”
