Diego Simeone: Atletico are working so that important players want to stay LaLiga - Atletico Madrid Griezmann linked again to Barcelona

With uncertainty over the future of Antoine Griezmann at Atletico Madrid, coach Diego Simeone insisted that his team will keep fighting regardless of departures in the summer.

After Luis Suarez spoke about Griezmann joining Barcelona as if it were a done deal, Simeone refused to even discuss the topic.

"Espanyol," was his one word response to a journalist who asked him about the quotes.

When pushed on the future of some of his key players, he insisted that the club are working hard to retain the core of the side.

"We aren't thinking about individual situations because we've never done that," he said.

"If we work for important players to stay it's so that they can keep growing.

"Achieving our big objectives and doing important things means that there are always players who want to come."

Simeone also addressed UEFA's ban for him, which will keep him in the stands for the Europa League final, after he was sent to the stands in the semi-final first leg draw with Arsenal.

"I'm not in a place where my position matters, we simply know that there are things to improve," he reflected.

"I invite UEFA to value the difficulty of teams playing the second game at home with a rival who has 30 minutes more that the others didn't have, I say it every year.

"The opposition have 30 minutes for their goal to matter more.

"They are very capable and I'm sure they'll look at it and I hope that they help us to make things fairs because otherwise there are injustices."

This weekend, the team faces Espanyol but Simeone insisted that the team will be focused on the task ahead despite the celebrations in midweek.

"I'm looking for an emotional balance, playing a final keeps us active, with the aim of continuing to compete in the league to have people switched on," he said.

"Getting back to playing in a final is an important step for the club and players, competing for second place in the Spanish league is a challenge."

Atletico will welcome the Catalan outfit to the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday.