Diego Simeone, the head coach of Atlético Madrid, spoke at the press conference ahead of the match against Barcelona at Camp Nou, emphasizing that his team still has plenty of room for improvement and that the game requires high mental and physical readiness.

At the beginning of his speech, Simeone spoke about the praise his team received from Hans Flick: "I don't comment on others' opinions. When you receive praise, it's nice, but we continue to focus on developing as a team and on our ability to improve further, because the margin for improvement is greater than what we have shown."

Simeone also spoke about visiting Camp Nou at this time, saying: "The match we are waiting for is very clear. They have an exceptional attack and a style of play based on control, in addition to players with important individual skills. We need to be strong in this aspect to compete and take the game to the areas where we believe we can hurt them."

Regarding his previous opinion that Barcelona is the team he likes the most, Simeone added: "As everyone sees, they have shown their style and approach, and they do not change their attacking strategy or their advanced line, which has brought them great results. We understand that we will face a team with many solutions."

Regarding the different nature of the matches last season, he continued: "Every match is different, each has its own way, and we will see how we respond based on what the match presents to us."

He spoke about José Giménez's readiness, saying: "José is very important to us, just like the rest of the team players, and we hope they all maintain the level they are showing."

Regarding De Burgos taking charge of the Barcelona vs. Atlético match after the controversy surrounding the Girona vs. Real Madrid game, Simeone clarified: "I don't usually comment on referees, a lot of respect for them, and we always try to support them in every way, as we always have."

The Argentine coach spoke about Hans Flick's demeanor and emotions during the Barcelona vs. Alavés match, saying: "It's natural; we are human and have feelings. From the sidelines, everything seems easier, but playing is not simple, especially with the pressure of consecutive matches. From the outside, we always want to see the best and expect it."

Simeone concluded his remarks by commenting on the situation of Marcos Llorente and his alternative options, saying: "He continues his recovery work. Marcos and Molle are different players; Molle is more offensive, provides depth, and is influential in the final third, while Marcos gives us options to play as a center-back, as happened in the last match, offering us a different style of play in this position, which is also important."