Diego Simeone, coach of Atlético de Madrid, has put the 4-0 loss to Benfica behind him, emphasizing that the defeat was not due to a lack of “intensity” or “commitment.” Instead, he is concentrating on the upcoming match against Real Sociedad and dismissing any notions of “negativity” surrounding the team. He acknowledged that his squad is still in the process of adapting and finding their “form.”

“I think the atmosphere among us is good. We are working towards the team we want to have. It’s normal. New players came in at the end of the transfer window, and they need to adapt and find their place. From our position, we must help them adapt as quickly as possible and for the team to take shape,” Simeone said in a press conference after the morning training session.

“I don’t see negativity at all. We lost a game, played poorly, and when you play badly, you increase your chances of losing. Hopefully, this Sunday we can put in a great performance against a strong rival like Real Sociedad,” he added, reiterating that the 4-0 defeat in Lisbon was due to the quality of play rather than a lack of attitude.

“I didn’t see the team lacking intensity; I didn’t see a lack of commitment. I saw a team lacking in gameplay, resources, and executing a good match. That’s why we lost. I wouldn’t always attribute a loss to a lack of intensity or commitment. It’s easy to say there’s a lack of commitment. Football is about playing, in addition to having commitment and intensity,” Simeone assessed.

In the aftermath of the Benfica defeat, the coach is “working as always for the next match” at Reale Arena. “On the first day, we evaluated the match. Obviously, we closed that game as we always do, and from there, we are focusing on what matters, which is Real Sociedad,” he stated.

“This is a rival that doesn’t have as many points as they deserve for their performance in the league,” he continued, referring to Sociedad, who is currently 14th in the standings with eight points from 24 possible. They have won two of their eight matches in the championship so far.