The drop in play and results of Atlético’s last games, culminating in the embarrassing league defeat in Cádiz, caused an unusual event this Tuesday in Diego Pablo Simeone’s appearances prior to an event as important as this Wednesday’s against Inter. Milan (9:00 p.m., Movistar LC). For the first time, the Argentine coach outlined that he does not feel legitimate to demand that his fans turn the Metropolitan into a cauldron that favors the comeback of the goal advantage that Inter achieved at San Siro. “I can’t say anything to the fans right now. Silence and accept everything they want to give us,” said the coach. In part, this penitent resignation has tribune overtones because Simeone knows that the red-and-white coliseum will be abuzz tonight. On the other hand, his refusal to inflame the stands reflects the deep disappointment that surrounds the coach due to the poor performance that plagues the team.
Decibels will not be lacking in the Metropolitano from the very arrival of the team bus. The packaging surrounding the game will not be the problem. Simeone’s concern focuses on the game that his team is capable of developing. If the coach did not want to appeal to the generation of a volcanic environment, he did so to the figure of Antoine Griezmann, his fetish footballer. There is no player on the squad for whom the Argentine coach feels more devotion.
The French attacker reappears after three weeks out due to a sprained right ankle that occurred in the first leg. “The entry of Griezmann gives us more solutions and more possibilities in terms of tactics, as well as in the game. Let’s hope that the game he wants to play turns out,” Cholo wished. From his words, the coach expects a stellar performance from the Frenchman. He hopes that he will be the soul of a downtrodden team and also the player who will put Inter’s solid defensive system in check the most.
Griezmann appears at the event as essential for Atlético to regain vigor and imbalance in attacking play. Griezmann will jump onto the Metropolitan pitch tonight without any minutes of filming. His inclusion in such a demanding match will be a surprise. His first training session with the group was last Friday. The medical services have been extremely careful and cautious so that he arrives at the appointment without discomfort in the damaged joint. Simeone could include him in the list for the Cádiz match, but he preferred not to risk it. He already tried to force himself for the second leg of the Cup semifinals against Athletic, but the swelling in his ankle barely went down.
A wave of optimism has been generated around the figure of the Frenchman in the locker room itself, despite the fact that his performances before being injured were not brilliant. He also did not perform, showing those overexertions that his coach applauds him so much for. He came to recognize that his favorite soccer player was dosing when he began to be questioned about the Frenchman’s physical condition. After the Cup match in which Atlético eliminated Real Madrid, Griezmann was seen as younger, less participatory in the attack and not very decisive. His bad game at San Siro confirmed that lowered version. “Grizzi gives the team a lot of strength. When he is ready to play or not, he is different. He is very important for us,” Axel Witsel remarked yesterday, the only player on the squad who has had a satisfactory performance in recent games. The Belgian pointed to the feeling of helplessness that Griezmann’s absence has created and also reflected the aura that has been given to him as a redeemer and leader for the team to reach the quarterfinals.
Always inclined to put together a discourse around the collective, an individuality never seems to have weighed so much in the outcome of a Simeone Atlético match. For a few weeks now, given the setbacks suffered, a preponderance of the need to improve the individual performance of his players has been installed in the red-and-white coach’s analysis. The setbacks are attributed by the coaching staff to individual failures that weaken or destroy the collective work.
Under this scenario, Griezmann rebels for the tough contest with Inter as a savior and the remedy that puts an end to all the evils that have knocked Atlético out of the Cup final and the fight for the League title. “This is a match that requires very high concentration,” Simeone stressed. The message hid his frustration at the multitude of individual errors, especially in defense, that have turned Atlético into a vulnerable team. “In recent days, the team did not maintain the level and football does not forgive. When you make a mistake, you lose. We hope to continue growing,” Simeone warned. The coach, like the locker room, clings to Griezmann being the one to make a team that does not recognize itself grow so that it can reciprocate a dedicated fan base. Although Simeone has not stirred it up.
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