‘It’s a lack of respect for the fans’ – Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone fumes at Spanish Federation

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has not held back on what he believes to be unfair scheduling for his side as they head into the Copa del Rey semi-finals. Los Rojiblancos will face Real Madrid on Sunday night, and then Athletic Club in the first leg of their semi-final on Wednesday at the Metropolitano. However Athletic have Real Mallorca at home on Friday night, giving the Basque side two days extra rest.

“I interpret it as a fan. They don’t respect them,” Simeone said of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), who have turned down Atletico’s request to be moved to Thursday in order to give them extra rest.

“It’s not that they don’t respect Atletico, but rather the fan, because it was already known before playing against Sevilla that it was going to happen, and Athletic or Barcelona were going to play at the weekend. If in such an important semi-final for Spain, the Federation decides that a team has 48 more hours to prepare, it seems unfair to me. One day is understandable, but what is the difference between us playing on Wednesday or Thursday? None. They don’t want to change it, I consider it, a lack of respect for our fans. That does not mean to say that we will win or not, it will not be determined by of that, but because of a question of respect and the Atletico fan who wants his players to arrive in the best shape. If one team has five days and another three, I get angry,” he told Marca.

He wasn’t the only one to express his frustration, with Mario Hermoso also airing his grievances.

“The hours at which we play often become complicated also for the people who want to support us, who live during the week to see Atleti play and we notice that fatigue, the accumulation of games and we have a long time left in