Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 7y

Atletico Madrid's Yannick Carrasco: My frustration not directed at Simeone

Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco has denied he has any problems with coach Diego Simeone, saying his recent anger at being substituted was directed at himself for his own performances.

As his form dipped after a superb start to the 2016-17 season, Carrasco was withdrawn early in seven consecutive starts, with the Belgium international reacting by kicking over a water bottle on the sideline when taken off during a recent 0-0 La Liga draw at home to Alaves.

But speaking after completing his first 90 minutes since November, and scoring a superb late volley as Atletico came from behind to beat Celta Vigo 3-2 on Sunday, he told El Transistor that previous frustration had just been proof of his winning character.

"When I get angry coming off it is not with the boss, it is with myself," Carrasco said. "The boss said nothing to me about kicking the water battle, a player must have character. When I am taken off I am angry with myself, not the change, I get angry when things do not go for me."

Simeone had suggested recently that Carrasco was not happy playing on the right wing, but the player himself said he has never voiced that opinion.

"I have never said that I did not want to play on that wing," he said.

The former Monaco attacker was happier to speak about his first goal since November, a spectacular 20-yard volley that levelled the game at 2-2.

"For a forward player it is important to score or give an assist, to do something for the team," he said. "The volley came off perfectly for me. I hit it very well, sometimes you don't catch it and it could fly into the crowd, but this time it went perfect."

A dramatic game at the Vicente Calderon, decided by Antoine Griezmann's late close-range strike, had earlier seen Fernando Torres score a superb overhead-kick lob, but also become the third Atletico player in three games to miss a penalty.

After a difficult five-month spell without scoring, Torres has now found the back of the net three times in three consecutive starts, and he told El Transistor that he hoped the upturn in form continued into the most important part of the season.

"I feel very good, above all happy to be playing regularly, starting the last three games in a row," he said. "Scoring goals, but this run will continue hopefully. I hope that from now until the end of the season things go well."

Torres said the high-scoring nature of Sunday's game was not ideal for Atletico, but they had shown character following their midweek Copa del Rey exit to Barcelona and were now looking forward to their Champions League round-of-16 first leg at Bayer Leverkusen on Feb. 21.

"Maybe it is not a game to leave you very satisfied as we were not that solid block [of previous years]," he said. "But we were a brave team who wanted to win the game despite the circumstances, who never gave up even when it all seemed to be a day we were going to drop points. You have to take the positive always.

"We were very hurt after the [Barca] tie, but also proud of the way the team competed and refound the sensation of recent years, when we can compete with the best teams. Now comes the Champions League, a competition which excites us a lot, and we feel we can compete with anyone."

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