Diego Simeone, the head coach of Atletico Madrid, spoke in a press conference ahead of their match against Rayo Vallecano, discussing the team’s condition, players, and his expectations.

The bitter recent defeat against Las Palmas still lingers in the team’s mind, and Simeone seeks a positive reaction from his players.

How is Pablo Barrios doing?
Barrios is performing as we expected. We need him, and an even better future awaits him. This season, he has taken a step forward, shown more consistency, and played a more important role in the team. We will help him continue growing. For the match against Rayo, we will assess his condition in the morning to see how he feels before making a decision.

What can we expect from Atletico against Rayo?
We will try to improve as a team.

How do you view Oblak?
In terms of personal performance, he has been excellent. As always, he is having a crucial season. We still need his motivation. The competition with Musso has been very good, and that makes everyone better.

After the Las Palmas match, many spoke about the players’ lack of intensity. As a coach, is this something you can train, or does it have to come from the players?
I don’t think the intensity and aggression were lacking. We played poorly, and when that happens, the opponent can take advantage. The goal came from our mistake, and we had a very bad second half. It wasn’t more than that.

When an important player like Griezmann plays less, how is this managed?
Fortunately, we have handled it well with all the players who have been in this situation. We’ve talked, and obviously, the team’s needs come first. Then, everyone must feel important, no matter their position.

Recently, you’ve been looking for players who understand your style. How is this managed at this late stage of the season?
We need to improve as a team, fight until the end to improve our position in the table, and collect as many points as possible game by game.

What are the characteristics new players must have?
You know me. It’s very clear what kind of player we need and what kind of player has always performed well in Atletico’s history—not just during my time, but always—players with strong character, hardworking, who think of the team first. Fortunately, on this long journey, I’ve had such players, and that’s the secret behind my long stay at this club.

What should the current players understand?
For a coach, staying at a club for 14 years means the players have performed extraordinarily. Coaches are neither magicians nor fortune-tellers; we try to implement our style. I consider myself lucky to have worked for 14 years with players who represent what I love in football.