After leading Atlético Madrid to a 1-3 defeat against Manchester City in a pre-season friendly, manager Diego Simeone addressed the press.

Three years ago, Atlético Madrid defeated Manchester City 2-1 in a brilliant display. Although they lost 1-3 this time, Simeone still left a very strong impression on Korean fans with an excellent tactical approach. First, a common question: Today's match against Manchester City has concluded. Could you give a brief overview of the result and your team's overall performance?

Yes, my overall impression of the match was very positive. In particular, today we fielded many young players. A match like this demands extremely high intensity, and they demonstrated the required intensity very well. Regarding the specific flow of the game, as the opponent scored consecutive goals to build a 2-1 advantage, the momentum shifted in their favor. But in the end, I think the team that deserved to win did so.

Lee Kang-in played his first match after only a brief training period with the team. How do you assess his performance?

First, as you mentioned, Lee Kang-in hasn't had much training time with us yet. To play a match, a player needs to regain their match rhythm and fitness. That requires time to adapt. However, this isn't unique to Lee Kang-in; it's the same for all players. Match rhythm and physical condition play very important roles.

That said, Lee Kang-in appeared to play mainly as a shadow striker today. Do you intend to continue using him primarily in that role, or have you considered positioning him elsewhere depending on the team's needs?

Yes, regarding that question, Lee Kang-in is a very versatile player. He can play on the wing, in the tight spaces between the midfield and defensive lines, and as you saw today, he can play as a shadow striker. Ultimately, because the player has such diverse abilities, his specific position will be adjusted according to the team's needs at any given moment.

In today's match, we saw Lee Kang-in taking set-piece duties. Was this a pre-arranged tactic, or did it happen naturally during the game?

Yes, that was simply a decision that arose naturally during the match.

Beyond the young players you mentioned, considering Manchester City fielded almost their entire starting XI while you still haven't had all your players available, what other conclusions can we draw from this match?

We have a very good period ahead because we have 10 international players who participated in the World Cup final and semifinals. But precisely because of that, they deserve their well-earned rest and cannot return to the team yet. To be honest, I'm a bit concerned right now because there are only 9 days until the official start of the new season, and we haven't even been able to train together as a complete squad, which will certainly create difficulties ahead.

Jorge Dominguez also performed well today. Will he stay with us, or will he be overshadowed by the return of Javi Puever, Marcos Llorente, and others?

To be honest, we haven't made a final decision yet on whether he will remain with the team for training and matches, as he was recently promoted from the youth squad. We understand he is a very talented player and can help the team. As you know, I have no age limits for players; if they can prove on the pitch they are capable of staying here, they stay. Dominguez is an important prospect in his development, and we must continue to support and guide him.

Traduzido por IA.

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