Diego Pablo Simeone spoke to the media after Arsenal eliminated Atlético Madrid in the Champions League semifinals. The coach analyzed the match at the Emirates Stadium.
**What are your feelings after the elimination?**
If we are eliminated, it’s because the opponent deserved to go through. They were clinical in the first half and deserved to advance. But I feel calm, at peace. The team gave everything they had. In the first leg, we could have won in the second half but weren’t clinical enough. Today, we improved defensively in the first half but offered little offensively. In the second half, we got better and had chances that could have helped us, but they didn’t come off. We reached a place nobody imagined. We competed against an incredibly powerful team with our own weapons and fought to the level we could. I’m grateful to our fans, to our players, and proud to be where I am. I said in preseason that we would compete, and we did. Unfortunately, we didn’t win anything, that’s true, but we reached places that are not easy to reach.
**How do you evaluate the referee’s performance?**
I won’t dwell on something as easy and simple as the incident with Griezmann. It’s very obvious, and we understand that Pubill’s foul on one of their players was called. We thought the referee got that call right. I won’t stop there because that would be making excuses, and I don’t want to make any excuses.
**In the final minutes, nothing was played.**
That’s part of football. We’re all aware that when those minutes come, we want time to pass quickly. Arteta’s work is incredible, and they have enormous economic power related to the work they can do. I’m happy for them, they deserve it, they’ve been working very well.
**Do you feel strong?**
I said not today. It gives me a reality—the reality of Atlético as a club. The club has grown enormously in every aspect, recognized across Europe and the world as it wasn’t before. But people want to win, reaching the final is not enough.
**What do you say to your dressing room and to Griezmann?**
Total gratitude. We competed against Barcelona in the quarterfinals and against Arsenal incredibly in the semifinals. That’s thanks to their effort. As for Antoine, I hope our fans give him back the affection he has earned in these recent matches. Koke was incredible, a masterclass in how to play the ball at his age. And I’m grateful for the effort. When players give everything, they commit and compete. We want to win, but it wasn’t enough.
**First, you spoke to Movistar+. Who were you applauding at the end of the match?**
Our fans and our players. We had a very good Champions League, gave our maximum, and went much further than normally expected. It’s a shame. We deserved extra time at least in the first leg and today to give us a chance.
**No detail fell your way.**
In the first leg, we had chances to score and didn’t. Here, in the second half, we improved, got more into the match, played in their half, and created opportunities. All those small details that sometimes go your way—this time they didn’t.
**How did you see the stamp on Griezmann?**
There’s nothing to say. We’re out. We congratulate Arsenal, they competed well, they have a team and a coach I like. They follow a consistent line of work with very significant economic potential.
