Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has dismissed suggestions that superstition prompted his side to switch London hotels ahead of their Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal, instead claiming their new Shoreditch base was simply 'cheaper'.
The Spanish club, level at 1-1 after the first leg, had stayed at the four-star Marriott Hotel in Regents Park before suffering a 4-0 defeat by Arsenal in October. For Tuesday's decisive clash, they have moved to the five-star Courthouse Hotel in Shoreditch, east London. Reports suggested Simeone feared using the same accommodation could bring bad luck, but he responded with a smile: 'The hotel was cheaper. That’s why we changed.'
Meanwhile, forward Julian Alvarez appears set to overcome an injury to start at the Emirates Stadium. The Argentina international, who scored a penalty in the first leg and has 20 goals this season, missed Atletico's weekend win but has travelled to London. Simeone said: 'Julian Alvarez is important... he knows the English league very well. He played really well last week.'
The manager also offered tactical advice: 'As coaches, we have to think about what could happen but it is down to the players. We have to manage our emotions and play as well as possible. The game changes as soon as it kicks off... It is not about being passive, but calm.'
For Antoine Griezmann, who has scored 212 goals for Atletico, Tuesday could be his final Champions League appearance if his team fails to progress. The 35-year-old Frenchman is set to join MLS side Orlando City at the end of the season. Griezmann insisted: 'It is not something I am thinking about. I am looking forward to the game tomorrow... Every time we start a Champions League campaign you can see yourself lifting the trophy.'
