Diego Simeone proud of Atletico despite loss in epic Madrid clash

The man known as 'El Cholo' couldn't hide his pride in his troops despite the result, lauding their efforts in a match that had fans on the edge of their seats.

Reflecting on past shootout woes, Simeone said, "The lads out there today weren't part of those earlier penalty dramas. Jan Oblak was, but that's not the point here. We played a cracking game and competed like warriors. We could've stretched the lead in extra time. The ref reckoned it hit the ball, but it didn't budge an inch. I've never seen VAR call a penalty review in a shootout.

"I'm proud of my boys, I'm chuffed. We didn't beat them, but they'll be muttering to themselves, 'These lot always give us a proper nightmare.'"

On the match itself, he added, "We put in an unreal shift, full of grit and guts. We kept a lid on a side packed with top-drawer talent."

The mood among the Atletico faithful was bittersweet, and Simeone felt it too. "The fans went home gutted, but they know their team left it all out there," he said. "There's a way to hit the pillow feeling rotten, but this squad deserved a standing ovation. The supporters were at it since last night. It was a belting day, shame we didn't go through. I'm walking away on the losing side, but at peace."

The toll of the defeat lingers, with a huge test against Barcelona looming on Sunday. "We'll see how we bounce back, this kind of exit is tough to swallow," Simeone admitted. "Barca will be chuffed we went to extra time. We're knackered, battered, but we fought like we had to. We'll chuck everything we've got at it."

The decisive moment came with Julian Alvarez's penalty miss, and Simeone didn't hold back. "Hands up, who saw Julian Alvarez touch the ball twice? Anyone? No one's raising a hand!"

Despite facing a Real Madrid side some called off-colour, Simeone dismissed the notion. "You're being harsh on a team with players who've lifted the Champions League twice," he said. "Their gaffer at Liverpool called them the best in the world, and he might be spot on."

Luck wasn't the word Simeone wanted to hear. "I wouldn't talk about luck, I'd talk about being proud of this team and how we always compete. That's what'll stick in the history of this journey at the club."

Breaking down the game, he said, "We controlled it brilliantly from start to finish. We had chances to put it to bed, but lacked that killer touch. They bossed the ball but didn't carve out much. They fluffed their penalty, and I reckon we did a top job."

On the shootout itself, Simeone shrugged, "Penalties in training aren't the same as the real thing. I didn't catch how they took them. Julian Alvarez looked like he clipped the ball twice, and if the ref saw it that way, so be it."

Wrapping up, he beamed, "I'm proud of this squad. Our fans will have loved that performance. They nearly always pip us in Europe, but they suffer for it, proper suffer."