Atletico de Madrid defender Cristian Ansaldi has vowed he and his teammates will continue their high tempo and aggressive game even if it upsets opponents.
Los Colchoneros have adopted a high-energy game under coach Diego Simeone and it has brought them much success in recent years. In August, they saw off Los Blancos in the Spanish Supercopa, drawing 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu and winning 1-0 at the Calderon.
Critics of Atletico’s style say they are not pleasant on the eye, and once they have the lead in a game, they shut up shop and defend for their lives, meaning matches become less of a spectacle.
But summer signing Ansaldi said the players don’t care what the critics think, and if anything, it makes them more determined to maintain their style.
Speaking about the derby on Saturday in La Liga, he said: “We will keep playing the same way. Many people are bothered by the way Atletico Madrid play, but that just make us happy. If they are annoyed by something, well we are just going to keep playing this way. We like it.”
He also said he expects the game at the Santiago Bernabeu to be very different from the Supercopa match as not all the players were at 100% match fitness in August following the World Cup.
“We must be aware that the Super Cup is the first game after the preseason and not all the players were at 100 percent. They came from a hard preseason, now it is the third game week and we know we have a lot on the line. These are three points in one game, and we know it will be different than the Super Cup,” he stated.
