Atletico Madrid gaffer, Diego Simeone, has conceded to Chelsea’s superiority following his side’s elimination from the Champions League.
Simeone’s side failed to conjure the magic that kept them atop the La Liga table in the UCL and lost 3-0 on aggregate to a rampaging Chelsea side.
The Los Colchoneros’ lacklustre display opened them up to three brilliant goals from Olivier Giroud, Hakeem Ziyech and Emerson over the course of two legs as they failed to make the quarter-finals of the competition.
Speaking during the post-match interview, Simeone said: “We worked hard to disrupt their rhythm but every time we regained the ball, we couldn’t impose ourselves on them.
“There were many elements of our game that pleased me, and there was an improvement in our game in the second half. I was pleased with the character but we ultimately fell short.
“I’m really well. We have to accept this reality. We have to keep improving and growing. We gave our best effort tonight but it wasn’t enough.
“The fans will be feeling pain and disappointment but they will recover to think of the future. With work, we will get stronger and recover from this defeat. We had not one sense of fear. This is the Champions League, it’s difficult and we came up against a superior team.
“Always it’s better to win and to advance. We aren’t thinking of this as allowing us to focus on the league. We will continue with the same application and energy that we take into the game with Alaves.”
The Mattress Makers will now focus on the bid to end Real Madrid and Barcelona’s six-year dominance in the Spanish La Liga.
Simeone’s side last won the domestic league in the 2013/14 season and has placed themselves in a good position as they lead second-placed Barcelona with four points and defending champions Real Madrid with six points.
Atletico will hope to extend their lead over Barca and Madrid when they face Alaves in the La Liga on Sunday at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
