RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 23: Diego Simeone, head coach of Atletico de Madrid, gestures during the Spanish League, LaLiga EA Sports, football match played between Atletico de Madrid and Villarreal CF at Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium on August 23, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images
After a challenging fixture against Villarreal dominated by controversial refereeing and a hostile reaction to Julián Álvarez, Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone called for unity — and attackers — in his post-match press conference.
“I think I was pretty clear: we need to stick together,” Simeone insisted, reflecting on last season as he added that, “when we did that, we were able to compete for important titles.
“We need forwards. We have them, and we have to take care of them,” Simeone said.
Diego Simeone on Julián Alvarez leaving alone and booed
“People at the club told me that the club decided he shouldn’t go near the stands or the fans. It was the club’s decision to keep him away and separate him so he could go to the locker room.”
🔥 ¡Ojo a esto! ☹️ Julián se marchó sin despedirse de la afición. #Atleti pic.twitter.com/OOgJ5ugIcQ
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atletico_MD) August 23, 2026
Simeone on the reaction to Julián
“I’m not here to give advice. I have to focus on my job, which is to give my best on the field. If we want to win a title, we need to stick together, have forwards, and have key forwards. We all need to work accordingly on what we need.”
Simeone on how Julián is handling it mentally
“I’m not going to answer all the questions about Julián. I understand the concern, and we can talk about what happened in the game.”
Simeone on the game
“My analysis is that the team controlled the match at all times and showed a strong defensive performance, working quite well despite Oblak’s saves. Against a team with key offensive players and great counterattackers, we took charge of the match as we needed to. In the second half, we picked up the pace and improved with the substitutions; we took the lead with a great goal by Pubill, but we needed to manage that time we spent ahead better.
“I’m not going to dwell on the penalties, regardless of whether they were called or not, they’ve already been awarded. We didn’t manage those stretches of the game well, and we had to make an incredible effort. The guys who came on later are at different stages of recovery; Giuliano’s performance was incredible, as was Pubill’s, and Grimaldo played the full 90 minutes.
“I like the team we have, we all need to stick together, and if we keep it that way, God willing, we might win a title.”
Simeone on pushing harder for the win while down a man
“I don’t agree with that.”
Simeone on the final week of the transfer window
“I’ll be happy with whatever they give me. I’m happy at Atlético; I’m deeply grateful to the fans and the club. I’ve been here for 15 years. I don’t plan on asking for anything, whatever they give me, I’ll make sure it works well.”
Simeone on those covering the lack of forwards
“I want to apologize to Lookman. I know this isn’t his natural position. He had to help us out because Sørloth is injured and Julián is still getting back into top form. He’s a noble guy who’s working hard, but he was missing what he really enjoys, dribbling, scoring goals, and one-on-one situations, and we’ll give him that back once we have our regular forwards back.”
Simeone on the final half-hour
“We reached the most crucial point of the match leading 1-0, and we didn’t manage those final minutes well. I won’t dwell on the penalties, those are the referee’s calls; whether they were called or not, or whether VAR intervened or not, is of no interest to anyone. They were penalties. I won’t comment on that.
“But I do take away a lot of positives. The team reacted well down a man; we wanted to win with 10 players. Physically, we still have a lot of room for improvement, you saw Barrios, who didn’t make the starting lineup, as well as Pubill and Giuliano, who were struggling. When the whole team is together, we’ll be stronger. There’s a structure in place that’s palpable, and I like it.”
“It’s not easy when you come to our team from another one, it’s different. It’s not easy to fit in quickly, but the sooner that happens, the better it will be for them and for the team. We need them.”
Simeone on playing without a designated striker
“Right now, we’re adapting to the situation we’re in. Julián played for a while. It’s my responsibility that Lookman isn’t performing as well as he knows he can because he isn’t a center forward. He struggles more when playing with his back to goal; he needs to face the field, with that one-on-one play he does so well. It’s my responsibility that he isn’t having his best games. I’m certain that to win titles, you need forwards.”
Simeone on whether that is Julián Alvarez
“We’re competing with the players we have with us today. In the locker room, I told the guys that, as long as they’re here at the club, we’ll give it our all with the players we have.”
Simeone on players with potential
“Growth comes from experience. We have important players, and I have no doubt that many of them need to step up.”
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