Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has offered his condolences to everyone at Brazilian club Chapecoense, after his club's former player Cleber Santana died in the plane crash carrying the team to a game in Colombia.
Brazilian midfielder Santana, who played 60 times for Atletico between 2007 and 2009, and also spent a year on loan at Real Mallorca, was a member of the Chapecoense team travelling to play the Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional on Wednesday in Medellin.
We are shocked by the plane crash which carried the @ChapecoenseReal team and our former player Cléber Santana.
- Atleti English (@atletienglish) November 29, 2016
Our sincere condolences to the families of the deceased in the plane crash of the @ChapecoenseReal. May they rest in peace.
- Atleti English (@atletienglish) November 29, 2016
The former Argentina international midfielder told a news conference that unfortunately those who worked in football sometimes had to face up to such tragedies.
"I first want to dedicate some words to the people at Chapecoense," Simeone said. "We give our best wishes to the families, and everyone around the club. Pain and sadness, life brings these things you don't expect. Those of us who travel so much, and are in football, are sometimes faced with such tragedies. I am very pained by the situation."
Simeone was speaking ahead of Atletico's Copa del Rey round of 32 game at third-tier club Guijuelo on Wednesday evening. Asked about the likelihood of the final being held this year at Atletico's Vicente Calderon stadium, with the club planning to move home for next season, Simeone said there was no added pressure to name a full strength team for each game.
"Sincerely no, as we always go out to do the best we can," he said. "It is not necessary to add any extra nice reason, which is more ceremonial than real. We will play a competitive side tomorrow."
Senior players including Antoine Griezmann, Diego Godin, Juanfran, Koke and Gabi are likely be rested for the game, being played at the Estadio Helmantico which was previously the home of Union Deportiva Salamanca who were dissolved in 2013, with squad players such as summer signing Nicolas Gaitan getting a chance to impress.
"[Gaitan] is a very important player and as the season goes on he will find his best form," Simeone said. "All players need minutes and the coach chooses those he thinks best placed to respond. From this players need to look for what is best for the team, not them individually."
Asked what he wanted from those players who might get an opportunity to stake a claim for more regular playing time, Simeone insisted attitude and workrate was by far the most important thing for him.
"Playing time is always playing time, without thinking about the type of game," he said. "I do not judge the players technically. They are all good players. I look at their attitude, their workrate, their integration in the team, and that is the same in every game - Copa, La Liga or whatever competition."
Since the draw was made, Guijuelo sacked coach Mateo Garcia and replaced him with Jordi Fabregat -- but Simeone said he had studied his opponents closely.
"They are a team who have changed coach, but there are still traces of [Garcia's work]," he said. "They use the wings well, and with the new coach are trying to close up the spaces more. We will be up against a very motivated opponent."