José María Giménez he is one of the most important players for Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, even though this season he has had several injuries that have affected his performance. The Uruguayan gave an interview to ESPN: “It was a difficult season from a personal point of view, with some ups and downs that obviously got me down, like the injury at the start of the season and the subsequent relapse. It was a complex season, but I always try to give my best when I’m called upon.”
Overall assessment: “At club level it has been a strange season. The only thing that can save it is to qualify for the Champions League, which is the primary objective. Only then can we say we have achieved the objective.”
KO in Dortmund: “It was a tough match. We were convinced that we could pass because I think we had the qualities to be able to do so. If the first leg had ended 3 or 4 to 0 it would have been normal for how the match was, but towards the end we risked taking the 2-2. In Dortmund we immediately found ourselves 2-0 down. We managed to equalize – the most difficult thing – and then we weren’t able to manage the match. We didn’t control our emotions and we suffered a defeat that hurt us a lot and which makes our journey to the Champions League a failure.”
Simeone’s continuity: “The aim of Cholo is to take each season as if it were the first. He is not a boring coach when it comes to work. On the contrary, he always asks a lot of you and this is admirable, because many times as a footballer you find yourself dejected and unable to find the right motivations. But he is a coach who passes them on to you.”