Diego Simeone responds to Lionel Messi - Quique Setién feud rumours | OneFootball

Diego Simeone completely dodged questions relating to the rumoured rift between Lionel Messi and Quique Setién but stressed the importance on keeping his squad happy.

Simeone and his side certainly have had mixed emotions this season, losing to third-tier Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey but stunning Liverpool at Anfield to knock out the defending champions in the round-of-16.

“You know me, I don’t give my opinion on what’s going on in other dressing rooms,” Simeone told a news conference on Monday.

“I just make an opinion on ours. We need to keep it protected, always take care of it and always manage the feeling of the players, which is the most important for a squad.

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“The most important thing is to manage, in my team, the emotional part, which I consider to be the key part.

“I wouldn’t tell you (how to solve Barcelona’s problems), and I would try to solve it naturally in our camp, which is the dressing room or the training session.

“A cup of coffee could also be there in any informal chat that could help for solving any internal issue.”

Simeone and Atlético still have work to do to clinch their Champions League place for next season and could take a big step with three points against Barcelona on Tuesday.