Diego Simeone attempted to instil hope, but his body language told a different story.
The Argentine manager exited Seville dejected and wounded following his team’s Copa del Rey final defeat to Real Sociedad on Saturday, a contest decided by the harshness of penalties.
Simeone previously guided Atletico to a Spanish cup victory back in 2013, which feels like ages ago. Winning the Copa again would have been the perfect launchpad for the club as they geared up for their Champions League semi-final showdown against Arsenal.
Atletico have yet to lift that trophy, and their hopes were firmly set on achieving it this year—hopes that were severely undermined by this weekend’s result.
The last trophy Atletico secured was La Liga in 2021, a campaign led by Luis Suarez in attack.
Securing the Copa would have allowed French star Antoine Griezmann to leave the club with silverware, finally ending their trophy drought.
During Simeone’s tenure, the club has gradually shed the unfortunate nickname of El Pupas, a term of derision given to them after their heartbreaking defeat to Bayern in the 1974 European Cup final.
Simeone expressed confidence in his team’s ability to recover from their 4-3 penalty shootout loss, which followed a thrilling 2-2 draw, with Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez missing their penalties for Atletico.
“The way we competed gives me reassurance,” the coach remarked, acknowledging the challenge ahead in mentally preparing his players for Arsenal, with the first leg planned for April 29 in the Spanish capital.
“I’m not thinking about Arsenal; today’s outcome hurts me deeply. We needed to win, but we fell short,” Simeone lamented.
“The fans don’t require messages from me; what they truly need is to see us win.”
Over 30,000 Atletico supporters made their way to Seville, only to leave feeling disheartened.
Simeone had earlier guaranteed that the team was “ready” to challenge for the Champions League title following their exit of Barcelona earlier in the week, but they faltered against La Real in the decisive moments.
“We still have the Champions League; there’s an exciting fixture ahead,” said Atletico midfielder Marcos Llorente, striving to uplift spirits.
“We owe a great deal of thanks to everyone, especially those who travelled to Seville. We share in their disappointment, but we must hold our heads high.”
‘Now for the brighter side’
Llorente stated that the team must not dwell on their defeat.
“When you lose, another competition is just around the corner,” he added.
“There’s no time to ponder things. This is really tough for us, but we have to rise up—now the exciting part begins.”
In the aftermath of the shoot-out, influenced by two key saves from Real Sociedad goalkeeper Unai Marrero and Pablo Marin’s decisive spot kick, Koke wiped away tears before echoing a sentiment of moving forward.
The seasoned midfielder, known for his wisdom, urged his teammates to concentrate on the challenges ahead.
“We gave it our all and poured our hearts into this match, but it just wasn’t our day,” remarked the 34-year-old.
“That’s how life goes… it stings, but we need to carry on.”
Atletico is a club that has shown resilience, overcoming many setbacks, including defeats to rivals Real Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals.
While the Copa final defeat is painful, it pales in comparison to those bitter experiences.
With Real Madrid knocked out, Atletico has the chance to bounce back and find a way past Arsenal, ensuring history doesn’t repeat itself a third time.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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