Simeone hails Jose’s winning mentality

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone shares Jose Mourinho’s belief that winning is all that matters as the Spanish leaders bid to eliminate Chelsea from the Champions League.

Following a goalless draw in the first leg at the Vicente Calderon Stadium last Tuesday and Sunday’s win at Premier League leaders’ Liverpool, Mourinho’s defensive tactics were questioned.

Simeone did not add to the criticism, instead admitting to respecting their well-organised team.

“I’m a football man, I respect different ways of setting out your team,” Simeone said.

“You can play 10 at the back or you can play 10 at the front. It doesn’t matter. What matters is the result.

“It depends what you believe is the convenient way of playing and who you’re playing against.

“To defend well is not easy, so you have to congratulate a team that defends well. To attack well is not easy either, so you have to congratulate also a team that goes on the attack.

“It’s important that, regardless of how you play, that the team wins, that the club wins, that the institution as a whole wins.

“There is not one way of playing football. If we all played the same way it would be very boring.”

Atletico are on the verge of an historic season which could finish with the Primera Division title and a Champions League final in Lisbon on May 24, with Simeone responsible for much of the progress the club has made in two-and-a-half years as boss.

“I’m not thinking about what we’ve achieved,” Simeone said.

“I’m not focusing on where we are at the moment, I’m just focusing on moving forward. In the end the best team will win and I believe with our hard work, I believe we can do well and maybe try to get a positive result.”

Meanwhile, Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is set to play tonight. The Belgian has become one of the most sought-after goalkeepers in Europe and has been backed by Simeone to handle the pressure.

“He has working hard to compete, to be one of the best goalkeepers at the moment. He’s still very young and needs the time to mature.”

Simeone, who crossed swords with Mourinho while the Portuguese was Real Madrid boss, was asked about his rival’s media tactics, with Petr Cech’s training session anticipated to be a diversion.

“I did not see any mind games,” Simeone said of Mourinho’s time in Spain.