Diego Simeone on Arsenal semi-final – ‘There’s no pressure, there’s responsibility’

Diego Simeone on Arsenal semi-final – ‘There’s no pressure, there’s responsibility’

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has told the media that his side are not feeling the pressure ahead of their Champions League semi-final with Arsenal on Wednesday night. They do however have ‘responsibility’ in the tie though.

Simeone was upbeat ahead of their first Champions League semi-final in nine years, as they look to return to the final of the competition for the first time in a decade.

“I feel pure gratitude. I’m with my two sons, my three daughters, my mother, my wife, my friends. All that’s left is to give thanks,” he told the press on Tuesday, as he celebrated his 56th birthday.

Simeone was highly positive about the achievements already reached by his side this summer.

“They’ve reached another semifinal. For Atletico, this is incredible. It’s extraordinary to do it for the fourth time in 14 years. It’s incredible. That faith, that enthusiasm, that energy they inspire in us will do us a world of good. We’re facing a tough match. They’ve worked on a very well-executed set piece strategy. We’re going there with all our hopes.”

“Dreaming is good, but reality is what happens on pitch. Reality is what we do and what God wants. That’s how we behave.”

‘There’s no pressure, there’s responsibility’ – Simeone

Arsenal come into the match as favourites, and Simeone said that his side had a ‘special excitement‘ for the game, urging them to continue playing as they have been in the previous rounds.

“There’s no pressure, there’s responsibility, there’s a special excitement. We have to prepare to play. In the end, it’s a football match and the players decide it. We have to prepare well. We want to play the game we envision and take it to where we can hurt them.”