Diego Simeone said watching his Atlético Madrid team compete still makes him “emotional” after eliminating Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate to reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2017.
Barça won Tuesday’s quarterfinal second leg at the Metropolitano 2-1 — after goals from Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Ademola Lookman — but it’s Atlético who will face either Arsenal or Sporting Club de Portugal in the next round.
Simeone’s Atlético have now reached the Champions League semifinals four times, in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2026, knocking out Barça three times along the way.
“Knocking Barça out in the Champions League quarterfinals isn’t easy,” Simeone said in his post-match news conference. “We’ve faced [Lionel] Messi’s Barça, Yamal’s Barça, and we’ve done it.”
“It’s been 14 years [here],” Simeone added. “Seeing the team compete still makes me emotional. The players have changed, we’ve started again so many times, and once again we’re among the four best teams in Europe.
“How good is it to play a Champions League semifinal!”
Simeone praised the contribution of Antoine Griezmann, who will leave Atlético to join Orlando City in MLS this summer.
“He’s a genius,” Simeone said. “We’ll realise over time that we’ve had a football genius here, a player who makes the difference, with experience, and personality. Let’s hope God and destiny give him what he’s looking for in his time left with us.”
“I’m very happy,” Griezmann told Movistar. “We made two mistakes [for Barça’s goals] which you pay for straight away in these games. I gave away the ball for the second. But in the end, with the fans and our quality, we were able to get the goal.
“We weren’t comfortable with the ball, we didn’t have the calm we needed to play. But we’re in the semifinals. It doesn’t matter who we play.”
Simeone’s team have often been labelled defensive, but the coach argued that it was an attacking approach which had seen them eliminate Barcelona.
“We’ve been evolving for years,” Simeone said. “We’re clear about what we want. We attack better than we defend! So we have to attack. There’s no other way.”
Arsenal host Sporting at the Emirates on Wednesday, with the Premier League side leading 1-0 after the first leg.