Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at 14:30• Mart van Mourik • Last update: 14:35

Diego Simeone has made some remarkable statements on Spanish television. Guest in program El Hormiguero by Antena 3 Atletico Madrid’s coach is subjected to the ‘hardest press conference there is’. In conversation with Pablo Motos, Simeone discusses, among other things, his current situation at los Colchoneroshe gives short answers to a number of direct, provocative questions and discusses his reality show that recently premiered on Amazon Prime.

“How does a guy like you actually walk the streets in Madrid”, opens Motos to break the ice. Simeone answers with a smile, and comes up with a comparison between the situation in Argentina and Spain. “I never have any uncomfortable moments here when I go to a restaurant. There is a lot of respect here even if I tifosi of the rival teams. In Argentina it is different. They come to see you there to ask for a photo and autograph while you are having dinner with family. If you then kindly ask to give some privacy, it will burn loose. ‘Who do you think you are? Come out with me and I’ll knock you down’, you hear”, Simeone laughs out loud.

As part of the talk show, the Atlético coach is asked to answer a handful of statements and questions in one sentence in all honesty. With enthusiasm Simeone struggles through the fire of questions. “Do I analyze a referee before kick-off? Yes. We try to examine the characteristics of the referees. They also know the characteristics of our players.” About favorite players in the selection: “They are like my children. There is always a tendency to hang out with someone more than with the other… But you love everyone, the players and the children,” says Simeone, who also indicates that he gives his players a lot of freedom off the field, provided there is a lot of freedom. zest for work is shown within the lines.

“Is it true that pre-match sex is detrimental to performance? New. Making love before the competition is performance-enhancing, for sure! After the game it’s a different story, because then you’re tired,” the coach winks. In recent weeks, Simeone has appeared more often on talk shows, not least because of his launched series Partido a partido. Also, the Argentine’s durability at Atlético has been a major reason for his increased number of appearances in the Spanish media. With his team, Simeone was eliminated in the eighth final of the Copa del Rey, the semi-final was the final station in the Supercopa de España and he managed to win only two of the last seven games in LaLiga.