Levante's Luis Castro: 'This Atlético are much better than last year'

Levante coach Luis Castro heaped praise on Atlético in his pre-match press conference: more tactical solutions, more variety and a squad that has not lost its key players.

In his press conference ahead of the game at the Ciutat de València, Luis Castro was asked about Atlético de Madrid, a side that, in the journalist's words, reinvents itself every season under the same coach, whether through a change of system or the arrival of key players.

Castro was emphatic: you cannot analyse this Atlético by looking at last season, because they are a very different team. For him and his coaching staff, Simeone's side are much better both collectively and individually.

"Atlético de Madrid have more solutions, they haven't lost key players and they've managed not to sell them, and when you don't sell and you bring others in, you're bound to improve. Tactically they have more variety. It's a stronger Atlético, which is why they've only lost one game in this league," Castro said.

His main argument was squad management: Atlético have managed to hold on to their key players and have also brought in other important ones, something that, according to the Portuguese coach, guarantees improvement. On top of that comes the tactical side: more solutions and more variety than in the past. As proof, he pointed out that Simeone's team had lost only one LaLiga game up to that point.

Rubén Uría later summed it up as a torrent of praise from the opposing coach about the potential of the Atlético squad.