Simeone urges Atleti to ‘play with heart’

Diego Simeone has urged his Atletico Madrid side to ‘play with their heart’ in the Europa League semi-final against Arsenal.

Los Rojiblancos secured a 1-1 draw in North London last week to take a small advantage into the second leg at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid.

“This is a game which you must play with your heart,” Simeone told a pre-match press conference, as cited by Marca.

“We need our stadium to explode with passion and support, that will transmit to the team and boost us against a dangerous opponent in an important match.

“Arsenal are a team with fantastic players, an amazing Coach, a dangerous team with lots of energy in the final third.

“They have players like (Mesut) Ozil who play between the lines, they can play beautifully and create lots of opportunities, we know how strong they are.

“We all must give our best – me as a Coach, the players individually and collectively as a team, because we need a big effort to reach the final.”

Tags Arsenal Diego Simeone
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