Simeone plays down tactical battle against Flick
Diego Simeone believes Atletico Madrid's upcoming clash against Barcelona will be decided by the quality and calibre of the players rather than his tactical battle against opposition coach Hansi Flick.
Atleti hosts Barca on Sunday (AEST) as the two Spanish giants go head-to-head in LaLiga, with the Blaugrana tussling with Real Madrid for the title.
Having already played in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, this will be the fourth meeting between the two sides this season, but they will face off a total of six times as they were drawn together in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals as well.
Simeone has only won 11 per cent of the 28 games he has managed against Barcelona in LaLiga, his lowest win percentage against a single opponent with at least two encounters in the competition.
However, after its 5-2 victory against Real Madrid in September 2025, Atleti could win both of its home LaLiga games against Barcelona and Real Madrid in the same season for only the second time in the past 45 years, after also doing so in 2021-2022.
Despite having very different tactics to Flick, Simeone played down the impact it will have on the upcoming fixtures.
"I think football is always about the players first and foremost, beyond the tactics, beyond the coaches’ ideas," he explained.
"What ultimately decides these kinds of matches is the quality and calibre of the players.
"I think Barcelona have been playing in a certain way for two years now, since their manager arrived, and they’re doing it, as we’ve always said, extraordinarily well.
"Their high defensive line, which won’t change because it’s their style of play, and with their attacking positioning to thrive in one-on-one situations, and, obviously, by winning those duels, they’re able to attack.
"We’ve been playing to our strengths for 14 years and we’ll keep working as hard as we can to continue competing against them."
