Diego Simeone chose not to hold the referee accountable for Atlético Madrid’s exit from the Champions League semifinals, which came after a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal. The referee, Daniel Siebert, dismissed Atlético’s claims for a penalty when Riccardo Calafiori fouled Antoine Griezmann in the 56th minute at the Emirates, instead awarding Arsenal a free kick for a previous foul by Marc Pubill on Gabriel.
A goal from Bukayo Saka before halftime secured Arsenal a 2-1 aggregate victory, allowing them to advance to the final in Budapest, where they will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich.
In his post-match press conference, Simeone remarked, “I won’t fixate on something as minor as the Griezmann incident. It was clearly a foul, but the referee called a foul by Marc [Pubill] on one of their players instead. I don’t want to make excuses.”
Simeone expressed feelings of “peace” and “calm” after his team’s effort, stating they had “given absolutely everything” over the two matches. “We reached a stage that few anticipated, competing against a team of incredible strength,” he said. “I take pride in where we are. At the start of the season, I said we would compete, and we did. While we may not have won anything, we’ve achieved what is not easy.”
Atlético’s season concludes without a trophy, having lost the Copa del Rey final and trailing far behind Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga. However, Simeone praised his team’s European journey, which included eliminating Barça in the quarterfinals. “We have made tremendous strides in all areas; we are a club recognized in Europe and the world,” he stated. “Yet, fans want victories, and simply reaching a semifinal isn’t enough.”