Monday, 21st April, 2014
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has praised the role of their manager Diego Simeone for Los Indios' resurgence this season, both in Spain and in Europe.
Atletico Madrid are in the semi-finals of the Champions League and are at the top of La Liga with 85 points.
“So much of this success is down to Simeone because he’s the man who’s guided us this far. From the first time he spoke to us when he was appointed, he told us he had a very clear idea about how he wanted things to be done and how he wanted us to play”, the Belgian told FIFA’s official site.
The 21-year-old praised the Argentine’s work behind the scenes at the club and believes that the clarity of Simeone’s thought process has helped the players to be on the same page as the manager.
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“That clarity has been key. You might be out for five weeks but when you come back you know exactly what you have to do, because the way we set ourselves out doesn’t change. We know what each player’s role is.”
Atletico Madrid will take on Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League semi-finals at the Vicente Calderon on Tuesday.
Atletico Madrid are appearing in the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 1974, a year when they were beaten in the final by Bayern Munich at the Heysel Stadium, Brussels.
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