Atletico Madrid’s Champions League campaign came to an agonizing and cruel end for them at the Metropolitano, as they fell to Real Madrid in a dramatic penalty shootout in the Round of 16. Diego Simeone was at the heart of the post-game discussions.
READ: Carlo Ancelotti’s post-game quotes
Julian Alvarez’s Disallowed Penalty
Simeone’s most animated moment came when discussing the controversial penalty incident involving Julián Álvarez. The Argentine directly questioned them regarding the double-touch rule violation.
“Did anyone here see that Julián touched the ball twice? Raise your hand. Who’s raising their hand? Come on, come on, who’s raising their hand? Who’s raising their hand? Okay, who touched the ball twice, Julián? Nobody’s raising it. Done,” he said.
Despite Simeone’s challenge, video evidence clearly confirmed that Álvarez had indeed touched the ball twice, leading to the disallowance of the penalty in accordance with the rules.
Proud of Atletico’s Fight
“I wouldn’t talk about luck, I’d talk about feeling proud of the team we have and how we always compete. That will go down in history throughout this entire process we’ve been through at the club.”
Match Analysis: A Game of Fine Margins
“We had a very well-controlled game throughout. We had chances to extend our lead, but we lacked precision at the end of the play. They controlled possession but didn’t create any scoring chances. They missed the penalty, and I think we did an incredible job.”
On Training for Penalties
“Penalties are different in training than in matches; I didn’t see how they took them. Julián seems to touch the ball when he shoots, and if the referee sees it that way, it will be like that.”
Overcoming Another Champions League Exit Against Real Madrid
“Proud of the team we have, our fans must have enjoyed the game. They beat us almost always or always in the Champions League, but they have a hard time, a really hard time.”