UCL: Diego Simeone in die-man-die battle tonight
insists winning is all that matters ahead of the
La Liga leaders' UEFA Champions League
semi-final second leg against Chelsea.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho produced a
defensive masterclass to derail Liverpool's
Premier League title hopes at Anfield on
Sunday but the Argentine admitted he would
also try to win by any means necessary at
Stamford Bridge tonight.
"I'm a football man, I respect different ways of
setting out your team," Simeone said with the
tie goalless after the Vicente Calderon clash.
"You can play 10 at the back or you can play
10 at the front. It doesn't matter. What matters
is the result.
"It depends what you believe is the convenient
way of playing and who you're playing
against.
"To defend well is not easy, so you have to
congratulate a team that defends well.
"To attack well is not easy either, so you have
to congratulate also a team that goes on the
attack.
"It's important that, regardless of how you
play, that the team wins, that the club wins,
that the institution as a whole wins.
"There is not one way of playing football. If
we all played the same way it would be very
boring."
Atletico are on the verge of an historic season
which could finish with the Primera Division
title and a Champions League final in Lisbon
on May 24 against city rivals Real.
"I'm not thinking about what we've achieved,"
said Simeone, who has two-and-a-half years
as Atletico boss behind him.
"I'm not focusing on where we are at the
moment, I'm just focusing on keeping on
moving forward.
"I'm not comparing Chelsea, a team that won
the Champions League two years ago, with
Atletico Madrid.
"In the end the best team will win and I believe
with our hard work, I believe we can do well
and maybe try to get a positive result."
Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is set to
play at Stamford Bridge for the first time as a
Chelsea player against his parent club.
The Belgian joined the Blues from Genk but
has spent three years on loan in Madrid.
Simeone added: "I think he'll be able to handle
the pressure without any problem.
"He's working hard to compete, to be one of
the best goalkeepers at the moment.
"So far, he's still a very young player. He's
still a player that's growing. He still needs the
time to mature and to grow."
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