City rivals in very different places ahead of decider
Atletico’s players spent last weekend partying after winning the La Liga title thanks to Saturday’s 1-1 draw over title rivals Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
Sunday then saw rojiblanco players and staff take an open-top bus ride through Madrid city centre.
“This is the prize for work, sacrifice, love of the colours that you cannot buy,” captain Gabi roared to the 200,000 supporters celebrating the club’s first championship crown in 18 years. “And this has just started, the best is still to come.”
The next morning everyone at Atletico crashed back to earth with confirmation that top scorer Diego Costa had torn a hamstring muscle, while playmaker Arda Turan was also a doubt with hip and groin issues.
Simeone told reporters at Monday evening’s official Uefa pre-final press night at Atletico’s creaky Estadio Vicente Calderon that the party was over.
“The fans and players have enjoyed the moment,” the Argentine coach said.
“But now we have to turn the page. We have some days to work well, to get our focus back. We will try and arrive in the best way possible.”
The media then watched Atletico’s squad — without Costa or Arda — do a light recovery session as they got back to work under Simeone’s eagle eye.
The press pack moved across town yesterday morning, to Real’s plush suburban Valdebebas training centre.
Eyebrows were raised immediately as training began, without the club’s €220 million BBC attacking trio — Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo has now played 90 minutes in just two of Madrid’s last 10 games, due to ongoing knee and thigh muscle problems. Bale has also played sparingly of late, as he reportedly minds a back issue which could need surgery this summer. Benzema played through a knee injury in recent weeks, only to limp out of last weekend’s dead rubber against Espanyol with a groin strain.
The Portuguese did emerge later to do some light jogging and stretching exercises, and also visited the ‘mixed zone’ to tell reporters he was sure he’d be okay to start on Saturday in Lisbon.
“I feel very good,” Ronaldo said. “I think I’ll be at 100% (for the final). Nobody wants to miss a final, a final you have been waiting for. I’ll be there.”
But the 29-year-old remains concerned, especially with the World Cup looming. “A player at the highest level trains and plays a lot,” Ronaldo said. “Sometimes the body gives you a negative answer. Unfortunately I have had a problem, but that is normal. All players have problems. Sometimes there is a psychological effect. We feel pain and you believe it could lead to something else. I had doubts.”
Such doubts in the build-up to Madrid’s first Champions League final in 12 years are far from ideal, especially with speculation mounting over the future of Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti was widely feted after last month’s Copa del Rey final defeat of Barcelona, and a 4-0 European semi- final hammering of Bayern Munich, a result which left the team just one game from the long awaited ‘Decima’ European Cup trophy.
But his team subsequently took just two points from three games in La Liga, allowing the lowly neighbours from across town to stumble over the line and take the title.
Suddenly local media pundits are wondering what would happen should Madrid lose on Saturday, and their city rivals do a historic double.
“My future is very clear, regardless of what happens in this final,” Ancelotti said yesterday. “I am happy to continue here — with or without La Decima.”
Ancelotti says he’s happy, and Simeone says he’s focused. Both men have three days hard work to do ahead of Saturday’s final.
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