Simeone: "Joao Félix's performance has dropped"

MADRID, 14 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The coach of Atlético de Madrid, Diego Pablo Simeone, explained that Joao Félix's lack of minutes is due to a question of "performance" on the pitch, so the Portuguese will be the protagonist again when he is "well", at the same time who described this Saturday's duel against Athletic Club as an "important match".

The rojiblanco coach reviewed the Portuguese player's career since his arrival at the club, to defend that if he is well, he plays. "This season he had a very good preseason, he started very well, and after his good performance he played. When now the performance has dropped, another teammate plays. I treat all the players the way I believe for the best of the team," he said. .

"As soon as Joao is fit again in training, running when the team needs him in games, associating himself with the goal that has him and we need him, he's going to play. Right now there are other teammates who are doing better Hopefully when it's his turn, he shows it. Every time he was good he played", he added.

The Joao issue monopolized the press conference prior to the clash in San Mamés, but 'Cholo' made it clear that it is a sporting matter. "Now the focus is on him, you are with the magnifying glass. I say everything I have to say to the players in the locker room," he said.

"The team is very good and there is only one reality, the reality is the field. There is a coach who sees the players with the same possibilities and chooses who is better in what the coach asks for. I am not going to put Joao for lose. We can talk for hours about Joao. He's a fantastic boy, he gets along with everyone, we're talking about football performance, nothing more," he added.

The Argentine coach, who pointed out that he will have to demand more to "get the best" of the Portuguese, valued the difficulty of this Saturday's duel in Bilbao. "I love how they are playing. After his time at Barça, Valverde has found that line of play, the possibility of getting closer to how he played, with good dynamics, with fast people, with full-backs who attack, midfielders who arrive. He works on block. We don't expect anything other than an important game", he pointed out, before assessing the lack of goals in his team.

"The good thing is to have goal situations. The forcefulness goes at times, for tranquility, confidence. The only way I know to reach the goal is to keep insisting", he finished, defending his changes in the line-ups every week to look for "the best" .