Champions League or bust for Atletico after Copa del Rey agony
Diego Simeone tried to convey hope but his body language spoke for itself.We needed to win and we couldn't win," said Simeone.
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone was downhearted after the defeat by Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final (Thomas COEX) Diego Simeone tried to convey hope but his body language spoke for itself. The Argentine coach left Seville crumpled, wounded, by his team's Copa del Rey final defeat on Saturday by Real Sociedad, decided by the cruelty of penalties. Simeone led Atletico to the Spanish cup back in 2013, an eternity ago, and winning it again would have been the perfect springboard to send the club flying into the Champions League semi-finals clash with Arsenal.
Atletico have never won that trophy and they had real belief they could do it this year, belief which was badly dented this weekend. The last time they won silverware of any kind was La Liga in 2021, with Luis Suarez leading the charge in attack. Winning the Copa would have ensured French star Antoine Griezmann could depart with a trophy under his arm, and end the club's drought.
During the Simeone era, the club have started to escape the nickname they had -- El Pupas, the jinxed one -- given to them after they lost the 1974 European Cup final against Bayern. Simeone said his team could pick themselves back up from the defeat, 4-3 in the shoot-out after the gripping 2-2 draw, with Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez missing from the spot for the Rojiblancos. "The way we competed makes me calm," said the coach, but it will take effort to get his players in the right place mentally to take on Arsenal, with the first leg in the Spanish capital on April 29.
"I'm not thinking about Arsenal, what happens today hurts me a lot. We needed to win and we couldn't win," said Simeone. "The fans don't need messages (from me), what they need is to win.