Controversy and the market surround another painful evening at the Metropolitano Cup.

AdminJanuary 24, 2024

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A week after culminating with Griezmann’s superb extra-time goal that decided the capital’s derby, the Metropolitano will be home to another dark cup night this Thursday. Atlético, who bring Reinildo back for business and welcome the arrival of the Moldovan as the first reinforcements in a winter market that is expected to be quite hectic in red and white with the likely arrival of Belgian midfielder Vermeeren and Italian striker Moise Kean. In addition to the possible departure of Correa, he receives Quique Sanchez Flores’ Sevilla. A coach who lived the days of wine and roses with the Coljoneros, but whose reunion with his old parishioners takes place in the context of Sevilla’s greatest need.

The Sevillans, who are clinging to the knockout tournament as a counterbalance to their agony in the league, will try to keep alive their hopes of reaching the April 6 final at La Cartuja Stadium and winning the title they have. have not won since 2010, but to do this they will need to attack a stadium whose team has not fallen for more than a year and which will raise a magnifying glass on the performance of Extremadura referee Gil Manzano on the grass and the Canarian Hernandez Hernandez from the VOR room in another match that could add fuel to uncontrollably growing arbitration fire.

“What we all need is peace of mind that everything happens naturally. We can all make mistakes, no one is perfect even if we have VAR. When everything is done naturally, everything flows. When not, people get nervous, go to the stadium and as soon as some action happens on the court – it’s a penalty, when they step on it even a little – it’s a penalty and sending off. The judges are swooning. I think this is a very difficult moment for them,” said Simeone, who called for “to be quiet, to run and let them judge.”

However, the Argentine did not hesitate to speak out when asked about the controversy caused by the controversial refereeing of the Real Madrid-Almeria match and the subsequent leak of conversations between Hernandez Maeso and Hernandez Hernandez during the said match. “Of course, the judges are going through a moment of enormous pressure. VAR improves them, but at the same time exposes them. This is reality. We can then discuss whether the sound is ok. The question is not that they filter them, but what happens in them. They think we are all stupid and that makes us angry,” he reasoned before the meeting in which Gil Manzano, the usual suspect of Atlético Madrid fans, will be in charge of dispensing justice, with the help of the interrogated Hernandez Hernandez.

From a purely sporting point of view, Simeone, who is keen to add another Cup to Atlético’s record of last winning it in 2013, has reason to welcome Reinildo’s return as Mozambique crashed out of the African championship. Cup . The tournament helped the former Lille man settle into a rhythm after almost a year away from the playing field and his return was a relief for Cholo, who is hell-bent on Atlético recapturing the mercurial spirit it sorely lacks.

The main doubts in the red and white eleven concern the right lane, where Molina appears to have an advantage over Marcos Llorente, and the engine room, where Saul and Barrios are vying for a place alongside Koke and De Paul. Griezmann left last training session early as a precaution but should have no problem forming an attacking duo with Morata.

Revenge or condemnation

For Sevilla, this fight is an opportunity to bounce back from the disgraceful hand Girona dealt them last Sunday. The league is a valley of tears for Nervion, but their current run in the Copa del Rey is a different story. It was with good reason that he showed his growth against Quintanara, Atlético Astorga and Racing de Ferrol before knocking out Getafe in the round of 16 to cap off one of his best performances of the season at the Coliseum.

Quique Sánchez Flores addressed this different trajectory on a previous occasion. “In the Cup the mentality was different, the players don’t carry such tension and pressure. We are now rivals with different realities, but we will come out and show our faces,” he said at a press conference, in which he praised the stability Simeone has brought to Atlético and lamented that the referees had lost their “intuition” with the game. the emergence of VAR hinted at the pressure that this group is under. “Everything balances out. At the end of the day, everyone is trying, and we all want things to balance out. I think they won’t make mistakes and that they have a tool that will help them,” he said.