Diego Simone surprised everyone post-match with his comments after his Atletico Madrid side were beaten by Arsenal
Diego Simeone fulfilled every expectation of what we know of the Argentine, as Arsenal eliminated his Atletico Madrid side from the UEFA Champions League semi-finals to book their place in Budapest at the end of the month.
Simeone on the touchline was the target of many chants from the Arsenal supporters sat in blocks 31-33, right in front of the press box, where we also got a great view. He was asked many times to return to his technical area – something his opposite Mikel Arteta is no stranger to.
But the viral moment of the evening was when Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta, who left Atleti last season before making the switch to north London, was involved in a clash with Simeone. Approaching the touchline, Berta was clearly making gestures of how much time there was left to play in the game.
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Pointing to his watch and waving his arms, he caught the attention of Simeone, who came over and appeared to ‘move’ his former colleague away from the pitch, which sparked a fracas on the touchline.
With several penalty incidents which clearly sparked frustration from Spanish media, who plied Arteta with questions on the incidents, which he aptly batted away, there was the chance for Simeone’s post-match press conference to explode.
However, when asked about how he felt about going out to Arsenal and in the manner they did, among many small margins and penalty calls, his response was certainly surprising.
“There’s nothing to say, we’re out,” he said. “We congratulate Arsenal, they competed well, and they have a team and a coach that I like.
“They follow a consistent approach, with significant financial resources that allow them to compete at this level, so congratulations.
“We’ll keep doing our job, without dwelling on a single detail of something that’s so obvious.”
A small jibe perhaps regarding the financial resources Arsenal possess, which Atletico do not, which is certainly fair. The Gunners, as most top Premier League, and even mid-table English top-flight sides, have the biggest financial backings in the world platformed by the attention the division has globally and commercially.
Yet it would be fair to point out Simeone is believed to be the highest-paid manager in the sport, significantly more than Mikel Arteta, and the Atletico Madrid wage bill is still significant, believed to be around just £1million less than Arsenal’s per week.
Yet again, however, when pushed more on the reality of the tie, Simeone doubled down. He added: “If we got knocked out it’s because our opponent deserved to go through. If you ask me how I feel, I feel calm.”
Fair play, Diego. He’s taken the defeat in good manner, even if he did walk across the Arsenal crest on his way back into the dressing rooms – but we move on, don’t we?
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