Pepe Mel stressed that the team was "very intense", something that is "very complicated” when the rival is "Atletico Madrid, the most intense team in the Spanish league". He was also very pleased that his lads “were as competitive as them”.

"We started off a little hesitant, we couldn’t find what I wanted from them, but I think it was only those first 8 or 10 minutes”, he stated.

Asked about what he said to the players in the middle of the pitch at the end of the match, Mel said he told them “you see we can do it! They looked afraid the first day but they’ve seen that competing, you can beat anyone, and when you compete at your highest level, you have nothing to beat yourself up about”.

He went on to explain, “Results cannot be changed, whether football is fair... You can play very badly and win, and play very well and lose. But beyond that, the players are tired, some cannot move. For me, Laure’s, Pedro’s and Alex’s participation was special. We have what it takes to do things better”

Regarding what happened to Fernando Torres, the Deportivista coach emphasized, “The most important thing is that he’s ok. I’ve just spoken to Germán Burgos and he’s told me they are calm. We’re happy that this is the case, because it was an agonising few minutes”.

Lastly, he wanted to “thank the people” for the atmosphere in the stadium. “Dépor fans are marvellous and have reacted very well. That is why at the end of the match I told the players to listen to that”.

Atlético de Madrid’s coach, Diego Simeone, showed his concern for Fernando Torres’ injury and admitted that Andone’s goal “hurt” his team, in a match that “we could have won and we could have lost”.

Referring to Fernando Torres’ problem, Simeone announced “we have no official news, he is conscious and he has a traumatic brain injury. I heard a noise from the bench, I don’t know if it was his neck or what it was”.