Atletico Madrid lost to Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals, with Diego Simeone reluctant to take part in the traditional post-match chat.
Diego Simeone suffers another semi-final defeat (Image: Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)
Atlético Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League, and a dejected Diego Simeone ran straight onto the pitch before being chased down by Mikel Arteta. Simeone’s side lost the semi-final second leg 1-0 at the Emirates, extending their wait to finally lift the trophy.
The Argentine was shown a yellow card in tense stoppage time, but appeared as energetic as ever on the touchline. However, as the final whistle blew, Simeone quickly turned his attention to consoling his players.
Simeone continued walking and started clapping as Arsenal players and staff cheered around him. The 56-year-old clapped hands with Atletico star Marcos Llorente, did the same with Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie and congratulated other Gunners players.
Arteta is then seen trotting towards Simeone for a belated handshake. The Atlético manager responded by continuing on to the away side’s pitch, holding out his arm in an attempt to motivate the supporters.
World Cup Legends: The stars of soccer’s biggest tournament in history – buy the special edition now
read more: Bukayo Saka admits he knows who Arsenal want to play in the Champions League finalread more: Diego Simeone can’t help but fire a flimsy attack against Arsenal after Champions League defeat
Simeone has been Atlético’s manager since 2011, leading them to the Champions League semi-finals four times. They also lost twice in the final to arch-rivals Real Madrid in 2014 and 2016.
However, the same did not happen this year as Arsenal reached the final against either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain. Coach Simeone reflected after the match, saying, “If we were knocked out, it was because our opponents deserved to break through, and they had a big chance in the first half and deserved to break through.”
“I feel calm and at peace. We didn’t have a clinical enough understanding of the situation we were in, but we improved in the second half. There were times when things looked like they could have gone our way, but they didn’t.”
Can Arsenal win the Champions League final? Let us know your predictions in the comments section.
Mikel Arteta had to corner Diego Simeone (Image: Movistar)
“We gave our best, but now we have to accept the situation we are in. I am so proud of the supporters and players that we are here now.
“I said I wanted to compete and I did that. Unfortunately I didn’t win anything, but you have to go places that are hard to go to.”
Atlético are on track to finish fourth in La Liga this season, their lowest ever finish in a full season under Simeone. Los Rojiblancos recently lost the Copa del Rey final, losing to Real Sociedad on penalties.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
