Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone celebrated his team’s reaching the Champions League quarter-final with a 3-2 defeat in London that ensured a 7-5 aggregate win over Tottenham Hotspur.
Looking ahead to the next round, Simeone was asked about the challenge of always facing Real Madrid or Barcelona, and said, “that’s just how it is, the problem is anyone who doesn’t want to see it.
“We’re competing in La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, where they almost always reach the final,” Simeone
said as he recalled an anecdote from his former assistant coach Mono Burgos.
“(Burgos) always used to say at the start of pre-season that we shouldn’t play friendlies against Second Division sides,” he said. “It was aimed at Madrid and Barça, because competing against them makes us better; competing against better teams makes us better, and Barcelona are better than us. But they’ll push us to compete, hopefully, at our very best.”
Diego Simeone on enjoying the moment
“It’s a time to be happy. As a club, as a team, and with the joy our fans will feel at reaching the quarter-finals. The road ahead once we reach the quarter-finals will be tough, just as it has been in previous campaigns when we’ve made it to the final. We’ll have to compete as we’ve been doing. It will be difficult; we’re likely to face the team with the best attack in Europe, but we’ll have our enthusiasm to compete as always.”
Simeone on reaching the quarter-finals in eight of the last 13 years
“Sometimes there’s no need to speak. The facts and figures speak for themselves. We must continue to give our best energy, our best quality, to keep reinventing ourselves, and today the team made a huge effort. The match didn’t start well, a three-goal lead doesn’t always do you any favours. After their goal, we reacted, started attacking, showed we could win, drew level, they scored again, we drew level once more, we could have won the match, and then came the final penalty that denied us the draw we deserved. I’m very happy for Cardoso, who’s been working consistently and played a top-class game today. Not to mention Julián, Hancko, Le Normand, Lookman, Griezmann and many others who put in a great performance.”
Simeone on whether Atleti can go all the way
“We’re trying to compete with Barcelona, who are our opponents. I have no doubt they’re the best attacking side in Europe. The prospect of a quarter-final against them is a huge challenge and will demand that level of performance from us.”
Simeone on Julián’s performance
“The match was incredible, with great vision, hard work, reading every detail of the game, a brilliant goal and an attacking style that gave us the chance to stay in the game at all times and meant that any situation could lead to a goal.”
Simeone on the Copa del Rey final and Champions League quarter-finals
“I’m where I want to be. In the place we’ve worked to be. There are lots of people working to ensure the team and the club compete as we are competing, and hopefully fate and God will give us the chance to go as far as possible.”
