Diego Simeone was spotted chatting with Hansi Flick after the final whistle on Tuesday night as Atletico beat Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate to go through to the final of the Copa del Rey.
Flick’s side almost pulled off a stunning comeback, winning 3-0 on the night but not doing quite enough to send the game into extra-time.
Simeone was asked afterwards what he said to Flick and admitted he had congratulated the coach on his team’s performance.
“He was telling me his opinion on situations that happened
in the match, and I told him they played brilliantly. I hope we can face each other in the Champions League quarterfinals so we can compete at our best,” he said.
“Today, when we were up 3-0, I said, ‘This is Atleti.’
“Pedri, Balde, Bernal… made a tremendous effort. It was difficult to maintain the intensity of the first half. Giménez’s entrance gave us maturity. And that maturity is needed within a team.”
The two teams can meet again in the Champions League quarter-finals if both make it through their last-16 matches.
Both teams face English opposition in the last 16. Barcelona are up against Newcastle, while Atletico are due to face Tottenham Hotspur.
