Diego Simeone’s Hotel Move Sparks Humor
Diego Simeone, the head coach of Atletico Madrid, made a light-hearted comment about the team’s hotel change ahead of their Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal. He joked that the decision was due to cost rather than any superstitious reasons.
Atletico had previously stayed at the four-star Marriott Hotel in Regents Park before their 4-0 defeat by Mikel Arteta’s side in October. However, for the recent last-four clash, they have moved to the five-star Courthouse Hotel in Shoreditch, east London.
There had been speculation that Simeone ordered the move to break any potential bad luck from the previous loss. But when questioned about the decision, Simeone responded with a smirk, saying, “The hotel was cheaper. That’s why we changed.”
Mikel Arteta’s Encouragement for Arsenal
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal to “go for it” and play like “beasts” as they aim to reach their first Champions League final in two decades. The tie is evenly poised at 1-1 after the first leg in Madrid, with the Gunners eager to progress further in Europe’s premier competition.
Arteta emphasized the importance of the moment, stating, “The only thing I have is to finish preparing as best as possible, and that we (the team) go out there like beasts and enjoy the moment and go for it.” He added, “You can promise to work every single day with the vision and being determined with the ideas and the decisions that you take to bring this club to be one of the best in Europe. Here we are. Now we have to make the next step.”
He continued, “Go and grab it. When you are in front of such an opportunity, it means that you are ready to deliver. And the team is going to go from the first minute to go and get that.”
Patience of Arsenal Fans
Arteta also spoke about the patience of Arsenal fans, acknowledging their long wait for such a moment. He said, “They’ve been waiting for so long to have this kind of night. Push hard tomorrow, because it’s something amazing that’s going to happen. This is the moment that we want to live together.”
He highlighted the club’s efforts over the past 20 years to reach this stage again, adding, “We have a lot of work as a club, as a team, after 20 years to be in this position again. And we are so hungry to get the game that we want tomorrow and go through to that final.”
Key Players Set to Return
In a positive development, Arteta confirmed that Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz will be included in Tuesday night’s squad. Odegaard suffered a knee injury in the first leg, which kept him out of Saturday’s 3-0 win over Fulham, while Havertz has missed the last two matches. However, Jurrien Timber remains sidelined due to a groin issue.
