Simeone: Hanzko can play well as a full-back, center back, and Spidey is one of the best forwards in the world

At 1:30 a.m. on November 9, in the 12th round of the 2025-26 La Liga season, Atletico Madrid will face Levante at home. Before the game, Atletico Madrid coach Simeone attended the press conference. He talked about some of the team's current situation.

Hanzko prefers to play as a central defender or a full-back?

- Whether playing as a full-back or a central defender, Hanzko can perform well. With the national team he usually plays as a full-back, while with his previous club he almost always played as a centre-back. He can also serve as one of the three central defenders when a back five is needed, and with his characteristics, he can help the team in a variety of ways.

The number of goals scored by Atletico Madrid's substitute players is eye-catching

- This fully shows that their usual training is very good, especially at the psychological level, which is especially important for those players who do not have a chance to start. Hopefully we can keep it that way because here we are a team without a doubt.

How to manage players’ playing time?

- This is the management work that coaches must do. Players are eager to play and not just be substitutes. They always want to play, that's normal. When a player joins a team, it’s not to start forever, but to help the team grow and become better. We need everyone's input, and the more people involved, the better. Of course, there will be dissatisfaction, as always, the key is their respect for the coach and the club.

Has Pubil’s opportunity come? Is he ready?

- When we need him, we'll have him on the field. His performance and attitude in daily training are outstanding. Although he didn't play much, in the key game against Rayo Vallecano, we sent him on when we were 1-2 behind and he showed great calmness and helped us reverse the game. This is very important to our process and I will not forget that. I have a lot of respect for his job and hope he can continue to perform well when he gets the chance to play.

Zamorano said that you already showed potential as a coach when you were at Inter Milan

- Yes, that was the case then, and it was obvious that he would never become a coach. Just kidding, I have fond memories of Zamorano: he was a workaholic, incredibly powerful, scored goals like crazy and had a big personality. Everything he had as a player was a huge asset and that period left a lasting impression on me.

Alvarez was not included in the award nominations

- that was not my decision. I can understand how everyone feels. In our opinion, he is one of the best strikers in the world. We have him and we need to cherish him. I hope he can continue to contribute more to us.

What do you think of these awards?

- Frankly speaking, my current focus is Levante. This team does a good job defensively, has also achieved good results on the road, and they have a lot of fast players from midfield to frontcourt. I don't think this game will be any different from their other away games in the past, we have to take the game in a direction where we can pose a threat.

Does the game against San Giros provide lessons for the upcoming games?

- Obviously, no game is easy, everything depends on the mentality of each team and the way they play. We've seen this in the Champions League: Club Brugge against Barcelona, ​​Qarabag against Chelsea, Villarreal also had difficulties away from home... That's what makes football beautiful. You will encounter all kinds of difficulties, and the teams that are more mentally stable are the strongest.