Atletico coach Diego Simone wants extra time scrapped

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone believes cup matches should go straight to penalties if teams are tied after 90 minutes, without playing extra time.

Presently in the majority of knock-out tournaments, a 30-minute additional period is played if the score is level.

“It is a situation in the game that we should go to directly, and not go to extra time, I think,” Simeone told a news conference Wednesday.

“There is already a lot of playing time.”

Atletico visit rivals Real Madrid on Thursday in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.

In the Spanish Super Cup played in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, both semi-finals went to extra time and penalties, with Real Madrid and Barcelona beating Valencia and Real Betis respectively.

Real Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini had also complained about having to play extra time.

“With the high pace that games are played at now, extra time should not exist,” said Pellegrini.

“It’s too much to ask, given the speed that we play at today.”

AFP

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