Atlético’s Simeone not “dwelling on the one detail that everyone can see and is very obvious”

Diego Pablo Simeone spoke to the media after Arsenal’s win over Atlético Madrid, offering a measured assessment of what unfolded on the Emirates Stadium pitch.

He first gave his thoughts to Spanish media outlet Movistar+.

Who was Simeone applauding?

Asked who he was applauding at the end of the game, he said: “Our fans and our players. We’ve had a very good Champions League, we gave everything and went much further than people usually expected.”He described the exit as “a shame,” adding: “We did enough in the first leg and today to at least give ourselves extra time, which might have given us another chance.”

Fine margins went Arsenal’s way

On whether the small details went against his side, Simeone pointed to missed opportunities: “In the first leg we already had chances to score and didn’t take them. Here, in the second half, we improved, got more into the game, played in their half and created chances.”

He summed it up by saying: “All those little details that sometimes go your way – this time, we didn’t have them.”

Regarding the incident involving Antoine Griezmann, he refused to dwell on it: “There’s nothing to say. We’re out.” He added: “We congratulate Arsenal, they competed well. They have a team and a coach I like. They follow a consistent approach, with very strong financial backing that allows them to compete like this. Congratulations.” He concluded: “We’ll keep working, without dwelling on the one detail that everyone can see and is very obvious.”

Finally, when asked about Koke’s call to keep pushing forward and whether he had the strength for that right now, Simeone was blunt: “No, not now. Definitely not now.”

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