Atletico Madrid News
Atletico defender calls out for Busquets’ handball: “We can’t do anything about it”
Atletico Madrid suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona this afternoon. The result was a major blow for the club in their bid to keep up with Real Madrid in the league table.
As the scoreline suggests, Atleti did provide a strong fight to Barcelona but ultimately came short. A turning point of the game came during the dying embers when Atleti’s appeals for a handball against Sergio Busquets were denied by the referee Sanchez Martinez.
The Barça veteran appeared to have handled the ball when going for an aerial duel. Atletico Madrid cried for a possible penalty, but the referee denied the calls.
Shortly after the game, Atleti defender Jose Maria Gimenez addressed the incident, suggesting that he cannot do anything about the decision.
“Busquets’ handball? The other day against Almería, the offside saved me, but this time they understood that it wasn’t a penalty. We can’t do anything about it, and we have to keep doing our thing, keep competing, and let the people who have to act, act accordingly,” he said (h/t Atletico Universe).
While Gimenez was careful not to mention Barcelona’s alleged involvement in the Negreira scandal, the referee’s decision has irked a lot of the Atletico Madrid fans, who have been calling out Sanchez, alleging that he was trained by Enrique Negreira.
Nevertheless, Atletico Madrid will look to move on from the tie. With eight matches still to be played, Los Rojiblancos have an excellent chance of catching up to their cross-town rivals, in the race to finish second in the league table.
Atleti’s next game will be against RCD Mallorca, at the Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday.
Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid, Chelsea contact PSG midfielder’s agent with player set to leave
Atletico Madrid and Chelsea are among the clubs that have made contact with the agent of PSG midfielder Leandro Paredes, who is set to leave this summer.
This claim comes from journalist Martin Arevalo on ESPN, who states that apart from Atletico and Chelsea, an unnamed third club have also established contact with the Argentine international’s representative.
Paredes has been on PSG’s books since January 2019, when he arrived from Zenit St. Petersburg. For a large part of his time at the French capital outfit, the midfielder had been a regular starter in the side.
However, last summer saw Paredes get shipped out on loan to Juventus. He has played 33 times for the Bianconeri this season with a return of one goal and assist apiece.
The Serie A heavyweights, who were recently hit with a 10-point deduction, have the option to purchase him permanently. But, as per the report, his relationship with manager Massimiliano Allegri is not good and a return to PSG is on the cards.
And considering that he is not in the plans back at Parc des Princes either, a permanent departure away seems set in stone for Paredes.
As such, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, and an unnamed club have shown interest in acquiring his services by making contact with the 28-year-old World Cup winner’s agent.
With Koke entering the final phase of his career and Geoffrey Kondogbia expected to leave at the end of the season, the Rojiblancos could do with reinforcements in the centre of the park.
Paredes, who has plenty of experience at the highest level and is known for his aggressive mentality, can be a good fit into Diego Simeone’s setup at the Civitas Metropolitano.
But, with Chelsea also in the picture, things could get tricky for the Colchoneros. After all, Atleti are operating on tight finances and are looking for bargain and free transfer signings in the market with the likes of Marcus Thuram, Jordi Alba, and Raphael Guerreiro emerging as targets.
