Diego Simeone: Atletico Madrid Must Stay Focused Ahead of RB Salzburg Clash

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone says his team is focused on securing a top-eight finish in the Champions League ahead of their final league-phase game against RB Salzburg.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone emphasized that his team's primary focus is on securing a top-eight finish in the Champions League, ahead of their final league-phase game against RB Salzburg. Atletico currently occupies fifth place in the standings and requires a win to guarantee direct qualification for the Round of 16, following their 2-1 comeback victory against Bayer Leverkusen last week.

Simeone acknowledged that his team has faced recent setbacks, including losing their LaLiga lead to Real Madrid and drawing 1-1 with Villarreal in the league. However, he stressed that Atletico will not be distracted from their task on Wednesday. “We are not thinking about anything other than tomorrow's game. And we want to do it in the best possible way,” Simeone said during a press conference. He also praised RB Salzburg, saying, “We will be up against a young, dynamic team. They will want to finish the Champions League well.”

❝When this new tournament started we had the ambition of being in the top eight. We knew it was going to be hard and we know the difficulties we will face tomorrow, but we are very excited to do well❞.

— Simeone 🎙 pic.twitter.com/U1rptWYV0U

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) January 28, 2025

Simeone emphasized the importance of the match, stating, “The game is very important and we want to take it to them where it will hurt them.” He also reflected on Atletico's initial goal in the Champions League, saying, “When this new tournament started we were hopeful of being among the top eight. It is difficult and will be difficult. There will be difficulties that we will encounter.” Simeone has previously acknowledged the challenges posed by the new Champions League format.

The squad list for tomorrow’s game 👇 pic.twitter.com/BeUYjrFhlZ

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) January 28, 2025

Under the new format, only the top eight teams in the 36-team table qualify automatically for the round of 16, while teams ranked ninth to 24th participate in two-legged knockout playoffs. Simeone expressed confidence that the top teams will ultimately prevail, saying, “I'm not looking too much at everything to do with who can qualify and who can't. The big teams always end up getting out of difficult situations and I have no doubt that they will end up fighting to win the Champions League.”