The Spanish Cup shines in Simeone’s eyes. Find out the date of the final match

Atletico Madrid seeks to continue its strong performances a few days after Barcelona was eliminated from the Champions League and reached the semi-finals, when it faces Real Sociedad in the Spanish Football Cup final on Saturday (23:00 UAE time).

“We will do everything to win the cup, in the spirit of 1996,” said a banner raised by the fans, recalling Atletico’s historic double in the Spanish League and the King’s Cup 30 years ago under the leadership of Serbian Radomir Antic and Argentine midfielder Diego Simeone, who became the technical supervisor of the team.
Griezmann (35 years old), Atletico’s all-time top scorer, will leave to join Orlando City at the end of the season, as Simeone said he hopes the player will leave after achieving his ambitions.
The Argentine coach said, “I hope that Griezmann will get what he seeks in the time he has remaining on the field.”
He added, “We will realize with the passage of time that we were, and still are, possessed of a football genius.”
Griezmann was close to the possibility of leaving the ranks of “Rojiblancos” in March, but in light of the team’s high hopes of competing for the Champions League and Spanish Cup titles, he was unable to find himself outside the club’s walls until now.
“Playing in the cup final is my dream and my goal, and I hope we can achieve a great achievement,” Griezmann said weeks ago, when announcing his stay until the end of the season.
The former France international has been one of Simeone’s most important weapons during his long era at the capital club.
“I have been here at the club for 14 years, and I have never stopped being impressed,” Simeone said after reaching the Champions League semi-finals.
He added, “I said to the players after the end of the match, thank you, thank you. I am completely grateful as a coach for the way they play, for their determination, for their hearts, for the faith that we have, and for what we do.”
He continued, “And now, rest, rest, because we have a very important match on Saturday.”

A long-awaited return
Although confronting two major poles such as Barcelona and Real Madrid is an extremely difficult task, Simeone led Atletico to the league title in 2014 and 2021.
While winning the Champions League title is not an urgent requirement for Atletico, the absence of successes in the cup competition is striking and can be used as a card to criticize Simeone.
Atletico won the cup title ten times, including one time under Simeone’s leadership, which was in 2013 against its neighbor Real Madrid, which was the last time they reached the final.
Since then, Real Sociedad, Valencia, Real Betis and Athletic Bilbao have won the title. Even clubs such as Sevilla, Alaves, Osasuna and Real Mallorca managed to snatch the runner-up spot.
Atletico will face Real Sociedad at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville, the winner of the 2020 edition, which was then played in 2021 without fans due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Basque club then ended a three-decade wait to win a major title, but winning the cup this time in front of its fans will give it a different feeling.
Since the appointment of American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo in December, the team has regained its self-confidence and revived a season that was lackluster.
Real Sociedad defender John Martin said, “I want (the fans) with us throughout the match, before, during and after, because we want to win it with them.”