Simeone not bothered by Jese's Griezmann jibe

Jese Rodriguez claimed Antoine Griezmann is not good enough for Real Madrid but Diego Simeone would not be drawn into an argument.

Published : Apr 29, 2017 11:30 IST , Madrid

Diego Simeone refused to respond to a claim from Jese Rodriguez that Antoine Griezmann would not get into the Real Madrid squad.

The former Madrid forward, now of Las Palmas, suggested that Zinedine Zidane should not attempt to sign Atletico Madrid star Griezmann as he already has better players at his disposal.

However, when asked for his view on the comments, Atleti boss Simeone was unwilling to be drawn into a potential argument.

Jese: 'Real has better players than Griezmann'

"I don't talk about the opinions of another player. It's his opinion," he told a news conference.

Atleti takes on Las Palmas on Saturday looking for a win that will keep it firmly in the third and final automatic Champions League qualifying spot.

There had been concerns that Simeone could be banned from the touchline for the match after he placed his hands on the assistant referee during Atleti's 1-0 home defeat to Villarreal on Tuesday.

Simeone feels the incident was exaggerated but is happy that no such ban has been brought into place.

"I was worried because I was very respectful to the referee in the situation that was spoken about," he said when asked if a potential suspension had concerned him.

"I had just asked why they did not let us take the final free-kick. Thankfully I can be on the bench."

Atleti faces Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final next Tuesday but Simeone says his side is used to handling the pressure of facing important games back-to-back at this stage of the season.

"We've always managed those situations. We'll look for the best way to play the game against Las Palmas," he added.

"They play well, they have a dynamic attack and a lot of mobility. A lot of their regulars didn't play against Leganes [in a 3-0 defeat on Wednesday] so they'll be fresh and enthusiastic. A classic late-season game awaits us."

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