Simeone Addresses Squad Changes and Criticism Ahead of Osasuna Match
Diego Simeone walked into the press room on Tuesday with the familiar mix of steel and defiance. On the eve of a demanding La Liga test against Osasuna, the Atletico Madrid coach used the microphone not just to update on injuries, but to draw a line in the sand.
Alvarez ruled out, David in the frame
The first question was the one everyone expected: would Julian Alvarez make it?
Simeone did not leave room for doubt. Citing talks with the medical staff, he confirmed the striker “is still in the recovery phase” and “will not be available for tomorrow's match.” No late miracle, no gamble. Atletico will have to do without him.
That immediately swung the spotlight onto Jonathan David. The forward impressed in the previous outing, and Simeone acknowledged as much. “Jonathan came into the last match very well,” he said, before making it clear the final call will go down to the wire. The staff will decide on Wednesday morning whether he starts or comes off the bench.
For a team still finding its attacking balance, that choice feels significant.
A team under fire, but still competing
Outside the dressing room, the noise has been relentless. Criticism of performances, of style, of results. Yet the numbers away from home tell a different story: six points from a possible nine on the road.
Simeone, never one to duck a fight, tackled the perceived contradiction head-on. He clarified that his recent comments were not complaints about the fixture list itself, but about the lack of rest. Atletico returned late from San Sebastian and from Champions League duty, and the schedule has bitten.
He then turned his fire on the constant negativity that now seems to trail the club. The Argentine insisted they have “become used to the negativity coming from some,” and that any small opening for criticism is quickly seized upon. He framed it as part of the club’s evolution – something to be accepted, even “welcomed,” as the price of competing at the top.
“A team under construction”
Simeone did not hide from the reality of change inside his squad. Seven players out. Five in. Youngsters from the academy stepping up. It is not, he stressed, as straightforward as it may look from the outside.
“We are a team under construction,” he said, underlining that Atletico remain competitive but are still growing into their new shape. Improvement, in his view, will come through matches, repetition, and time – that rarest of commodities in modern football. “We are in the building phase,” he added, “and we need the time that the world of football does not give you.”
The table, for now, is respectable. Atletico sit fifth in La Liga on 10 points, with three wins, one draw and one defeat. Solid, if not spectacular. A platform, not a finished product.
Call to arms at the Metropolitano
If the squad is evolving, one constant remains: Simeone’s bond with the stands. Ahead of Osasuna’s visit, he made a direct appeal to the Atletico supporters.
“What we need is to put in a strong match against an opponent going through the same need as us,” he said, highlighting that Jagoba Arrasate’s side are also searching for stability. Simeone wants energy from the stands and intensity on the pitch, especially after what he described as a “difficult match” last time out. The hope is for the “usual enthusiastic atmosphere” to drive the team on.
The message was clear: unity, noise, and a fortress mentality at home.
Mourinho, penalties and a laugh
There was a brief detour into the wider drama of Spanish football when Jose Mourinho’s recent comments surfaced. The Portuguese had expressed surprise that journalists had not pressed Simeone more on penalties awarded to Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Simeone’s response? A laugh, and a refusal to be dragged in. “I have nothing to say or comment on,” he replied, shutting the door on a potentially explosive line of questioning.
No debate on the Ballon d'Or
On one topic, though, he needed no time to think. Asked for his Ballon d'Or favourite, Simeone answered instantly.
“Messi, without the slightest doubt,” he said. The World Cup, the level, the age – for Simeone, it all points in one direction. He repeated it for emphasis: “Messi without the slightest doubt.”
In a sport obsessed with debate, there was none from him.
Adapting to a strange pause
Before leaving, Simeone turned to the calendar. A three-week stoppage looms, an unusual break in rhythm for a squad still trying to click.
“Stopping for three weeks is something new,” he admitted, but stressed that Atletico will adapt. The players, he insisted, have “complete desire,” and this, too, is part of the game, part of the profession, “the place we chose to be in.”
Osasuna arrive with their own problems and their own urgency. Atletico arrive with questions, criticism, and a coach who has no intention of backing down.
The building phase continues. How long will the patience last?
