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Simeone on Romero's absence: 'The team comes before the individual'
The coach says Romero's importance is "clear" but puts his faith in the collective
Simeone answers questions at his press conference about Cuti Romero's absence
At his press conference in Stuttgart, Simeone played down the Atlético's run of form, described an opponent that presses man-to-man and answered questions about Cuti Romero's absence with his long-standing mantra.
In the press room at Stuttgart's stadium, asked about the importance of winning away in the Champions League and about the goal of finishing in the top eight, Diego Simeone fell back on his familiar message: "Everything that came before no longer counts, and journalists will judge the team on what it does the next day and quickly forget everything they are praising now."
On the opposition, he described a side that "started well in the Champions League, physically strong and with clear ideas: pressing in the opponent's half, almost always man-to-man, and dropping very deep when they have to defend."
On Cuti Romero's absence, Simeone explained: "Cuti's importance is clear, but the collective makes us all better. We're not going to stray from this approach; the team is more important than the individual."
Simeone was asked about Oblak's development: "He's progressing a lot in that area, like all goalkeepers. He makes us better as a team and his form is improving. His performances are proving important in decisive moments. Clearly we need the best version of him. Jan has to be ready too; this belongs to everyone and we're going to need all of them."
Asked whether he has the best squad, Simeone replied: "We'll be able to judge that when the season is over. We're a work in progress and the lads are adapting. We need to keep going along these lines. We're managing the minutes in a way that can be beneficial."
On the possibility of playing Cardoso and Hjulmand together, in response to a question from Nacho Donado, Simeone said: "Morten had a great game. Cardoso had been putting in important performances. We need everyone. We need people who understand the game they're asked to play, whether it's 50 matches or 20... The players coming in are doing very well."
When asked whether Cuti Romero's absence is a test to prove the team can perform without him, Simeone acknowledged that the Argentine's importance is clear but insisted that the collective makes everyone better. It is the approach the club has followed for fifteen years, the team above the individual, and it will not change in Stuttgart.