Rodrigo de Paul, footballer of Atlético de Madrid, spoke to the media after reaching the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.
He has been more comfortable on the court in the last month and a half
“Yes, I am happy, the work is reflected in the field, when what you want to do comes out, you leave happy. As I said recently, I feel very good physically and mentally, which is very important for me. “I’m happy, I hope to continue contributing to the team, which is why I’m here.”
Cup favourites
“No, we are not favorites. At the moment it doesn’t exist. We came with a huge amount of minutes, in two days to compete and win to continue in the Champions League. We are excited, which is the best thing people have and we send it to people. Whoever we face will be a very tough opponent, everyone has strong things and we will prepare them in the best way, but we are excited about this Cup.
There was a lot of tension among the Argentines from Sevilla
“Nothing, things from the game remain there. We have an amazing relationship, I met Huevo Acuña from Karera, almost ten years ago. We lived one of the most incredible memories we have in life together. Everyone defends himself and wants to advance in the round, then we congratulated each other, I asked him about the injury, it’s important for the national team, I hope he gets his minutes back.”
There’s a rival he doesn’t want to see, another he prefers…
“Everybody has their own thing. Whoever they see as the least favorite doesn’t have the pressure of having to go out and win… Whoever it is is going to be very difficult for us, but we’re going to come with enthusiasm. Facing Madrid in the round of 16 is a match that will slow you down or give you a strong emotional boost. Today we are playing against a team that has less points in the League than it should, it has many top players, we got rid of the two are tough rivals but the one who doesn’t touch will be tougher.”
Barrios’ play, then I was worried
“Cholo said, these are moments that teach you, it could have happened to any of us, with experience you can make a different decision, they are seconds. I’m glad it’s not a punishment, those of us who are older can deal with it differently. It was a learning experience but no punches would have been taken if it was a penalty. You will benefit from that teaching.”
This is not the fluid Atlético of another era
“Before the start we knew it was close, we played a month ago in the League and it was similar. I think we play a lot and count the minutes. The hierarchy of the team will appear there. Intelligence, and if the penalty is -score it could have been the other way. Decisiveness in important moments makes teams good. We were precise in moments together, we defended, we suffered and I think we were fair winners.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
