The elimination of Atlético de Madrid in the UEFA Champions League left a direct message from their coach, Diego Pablo Simeone, who recognised the superiority of the rival tr as falling to Arsenal in semi-finals, one step from the final in Budapest. The Argentine coach avoided looking for excuses and focused his analysis on the performance of the English team.

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“If we are eliminated it is because the rival has made merit to pass”, he expressed in a press conference, marking distance from any arbitral controversy or external interpretation of the result.

The strategist also ruled out stopping on specific plays of the match. “I'm not going to stay on something very easy and simple like the play on Griezmann. I'm not going to stop there because it would be excusing ourselves. I don't feel like excusing myself in anything”, he stated.

Team balance and look towards growth

Beyond the defeat, Simeone ensured that his team showed an evolution during the match, especially in the complement. “I think the team gave everything. Today In the second time we improved a lot, we evolved better offensively and we had some situation that could favor us that this time favored us,” he noted.

The coach highlighted Atlético's tour in the tournament, underscoring the level of the rival and the competitiveness of their squad. “He arrives "We went to a place where no one imagined and we arrived against a team that is incredible and with our weapons we compete very well," he added.

In his message, there was space for gratitude. “I want to thank our people and our players. I feel proud to be in the place where I am. In the preseason I said some words and I said that we would compete, and we compete. Unfortunately,we didn't win anything, but we got to places that are very difficult to get to,” he declared.

When being consulted about the growth of the club since his arrival in 2011, Simeone acknowledged the advances, although made clear that expectations have changed. “This gives you a reality that is reality of the team as a club. It has grown enormously, it is a recognized club in Europe, as it wasn't previously, but the people want to win. It's not enough for the people to reach a semifinals," he explained.

Finally, he referred to the final minutes of the match, where Arsenal managed time to ensure their classification. “It's part of football. Arteta's work is incredible. I'm happy for them because they deserve it,” he concluded.