Simeone: Possession does not interest me in the least

Simeone: “Possession does not interest me in the least”

http://deportes.elpais.com/deportes/2012/02/29/actualidad/1330544821_154290.html

Direct and energetic, ‘Cholo’ Simeone answer with his eyes on his watch, but doesn’t run away from questions. As sure of his answers as he is of the style he pretends to inflect his team with. His sons patiently await, the other great passion of his life.

Smile, yell. Joke, tension. “Gabi, you’re not going to kill the keeper!” he shouts as the midfielder shoots without any strength. “More! Keep going! We don’t stop!” he demands later, in any exercise, without rest nor truce. Diego Pablo Simeone (Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1970) trains as he lives and breathes as he is. “Because one can’t lose their essence, because you don’t negotiate with effort”, he argues. The formula works for Atletico, in the quarter finals of Europa League and three points from the Champions, an important accomplishment because he received a team ten points away. “We can do more”, he repeats.

Question. You are an idol of the rojiblanca, which is why you didn’t have to convince anyone. Is it easier this way?
Answer. The fans remember the player and they have a great affection for him and recognition, something that will never be touched. But now I’m Simeone the coach, who transmits values to the team that reflects them in the best way possible and, alongside, the fan finds himself in the same position.

Q. Don’t you think the fans might have been bothered you were given a homage by Lazio and saying that one day you would train them?
A. The Atletico fans are proud that the Lazio fandom treats me with the same affection. It speaks well of me. The same thing happened to me when I went with Catania against Inter. It’s nothing new. Hopefully I can stay here for as long as the club does well.

Q. As a player your passion was contagious. Is it as easy now to win over the changing room?
A. I have not come here to win over the changing room. I’ve come to show a way and do a great job together. Everything must be managed with transparency, sincerity, and always straight forward. Being a coach is different than being a player, but the essence and the codes don’t change.

Q. But since you’ve been wearing the suit you’ve been more restrained. Do you hold your tongue?
A. I understand my place and my mission: that the players are better the day I leave than the day I came. I declare myself content with their improvement, when we face better teams, and on top of that, win. What differentiates one coach from another is whether he improves his players.

Q. What are your inspirations in the bench?
A. Many. Bielsa is a great coach, Bilardo taught me how to understand the game with passion and hope, Mancini taught me aggressiveness, Basile had the power to motivate you with a single look…

Q. That was in Sevilla, with Diego Armando Maradona.
A. Nice memories… they’re things you don’t forget and football gives you. Like when I was a kid with my old man to Racing’s pitch, of whom I’m a fan. They were happy Sundays because I got up, I ripped apart papers to get into the stadium, I watched the game and I only cared about what the 5, the 9 and the 10 did… The bad thing was when the match was over because that meant that I had to pay attention to school.

Q. Did football obsess you?
A. I loved it. I even made a lego stadium and I put the soldiers on to play games. But I always rooted for the Indians (laughs).

Q. What remains of that kid?
A. The amateurism for the sport, the passion for football, which is my life.

Q. Are you bothered, then, that you have a reputation as a hard player?
A. I never stopped to think what others thought of me. Because in life, when you do that, you make mistakes because you either think too much of yourself or too little. I’ve always been and am sure of myself and of what I am, of what I have, and of what I do right and wrong. And I know for sure that I was a competitive player.

Q. Do you recognize yourself when you see the image of the step over Guerrero?
A. Yes, I see myself. It’s an experience that I’ll never forget and is useful to never repeat it.

Q. What did your family say to you?
A. I don’t know… I don’t listen to anyone. Normally, when you make a grave mistake, it’s better not to listen. You already know what you’re about to be told.

Q. Now you’re the father…
A. And it’s clear to me that I have to give my sons opportunity to choose, communication and studies. Show them where the liens are, but not with words. They have to see. If you behave well, so will they.

Q. Is it hard to show them that what they have is not normal?
A. The normal thing is to teach them that their father has earned what he has with effort and hard work and show them the other side, that is hard and difficult, and that many don’t have the opportunity that I had. That’s why they have to have studies and tools. Money is only useful for sickness. It doesn’t give you happiness.

Q. Do you want them to be footballers?
A. To Giovanni, the oldest one, they already contracted him at River and sometimes trains with the first team. The other two play, we’ll see. But I don’t rush them nor make them. I let them choose.

Q. You also choose. As a coach, you’ve left on your own free will all over the place…
A. In life, one has to act. I’m not about being at one place for the money. Money doesn’t interest me, although that sounds weird. I like feeling well, alive, valued. When I see that the situations are taking me to a future that we all know, which is the departure of the coach, I get ahead and leave.

Q. If they value more the results than your work, will you leave?
A. No. Only, that I behave the same winning or losing. The demand of winning is necessary and normal.

Q. Yours is to never give up?
A. You don’t negotiate with effort. It’s always been this way in life. But that doesn’t meant that I’d like to have 10 Simeones because a team has many characteristics. It wouldn’t be good to have 10 Messis either.

Q. They said that Turan and Diego couldn’t play in your team because they didn’t put in enough effort.
A. At River I played with Buonanotte, Alexis, Abreu and Falcao. I try to play the best, as long as they know that the team is more important than them. But I prefer a bad player that believes in what he does than a good one that doesn’t.

Q. Do you aspire to the possession of the ball?
A. Posession? I’m not interested. At all. It doesn’t interest me in the least. What I’m interested in is in winning. Possession is a tactic that has been sold very well. It’s a way of winning, but not the only one. One chooses whichever they want. We are balanced in the two faces of the game. We have players that can mix possession, defensive balance and counterattack. But I aspire to be more decisive and consistent. The reference is the game against Lazio at the Olimpico.

Q. Has Adrian surprised you?
A. He surprised me when he wasn’t in my team. Now I see him and I think he can do a lot more, that he doesn’t have a ceiling.

Q. And Falcao?
A. He’s a great striker. We have to waste him little on the wings and the backtracking to have him fresh on his natural habitat, the box. But he has to do more, be more decisive.

Q. You demand more from everyone. Isn’t there anyone that tells you that he’s already doing all he can?
A. That would be a weakling and the weaklings don’t interest me.

:vagi:

u jack off of this guy yet u spit in mourinhos face? OH NOOO

I think Atletico fans need some winning, he is right to take this kind of approach

Exactly what Atleti need imo.

Cruyff: :vagi:

we were a bit in a similar situation no? we took Mourinho because we needed to win, regardless of the style.

TMO still on my ignore list

Anyways, about the interview, Simeone just oozes confidence. He knows what he wants, when he wants it, and how he wants it. And his players know it too. He has such a forceful personality it's no wonder his players have adopted some of that in the pitch.

What I really admire about him is his mentality. With Manzano, we had someone who had a ceiling in terms of what he can do. Simeone is a realist and understands what needs to be done because he himself was a hardworking player. He demands that extra bit, much to what Mou demands in Real. I am confident we will finish fourth this year. Additionally, we will spend a lot of money too. We spend 70mil last year, and I expect us to spend a fair bit this year too. We are not one of the clubs in any sort of big financial trouble like Valencia. Our defence is pretty solid, but our mid and wings can be improved. We have a gem in Koke, so I see a bright future for Atletico.

Already liked his attitude. The guy focuses on hard work and he actually has the squad built for that. Atletico looking up.

Mr Nick09 wrote:we were a bit in a similar situation no? we took Mourinho because we needed to win, regardless of the style.

We were in a similar situation, but you guys got the best manager in the world, and we have a manager with great potential. Both their styles are similar in a sense that they are pragmatist, they dont care about playing boring football, if that means a win. But I am very glad with Simeone.

Would you still be very glad with him if he stopped winning?

I like possession.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:Would you still be very glad with him if he stopped winning?

I have always liked him as a player, so I would always like him. I did have a problem when he first joined us because of that same problem. I dont like players who I admire failing with us, its hurts their legacy with the club. We are actually not winning that much with him, infact we draw many games that we should win. I am not just impressed with the defence he has created, its the mentality he has brought. We dont fear anyone anymore, thats the impression I get. And I will bet you Real will get a hell of a game from us now.

Simeone doesnt have the players Pep has, he doesnt have the ability that Mou has, but he has balls of steel.

That's why I want Atleti to finish 4th. Atleti along with Malaga are the only ones who could actually compete in CL becouse both of them have the money to compete.

Hazard said it wouldn't be a bad idea to join the underdog. Join Atletico my friend