Simeone ‘excited’ by all-Madrid final
3 May 2014 5:15 AM IST
The two Madrid clubs will become the first teams from the same city to contest a European Cup final when they meet in Lisbon on May 24 after Atletico won 3-1 at Chelsea in the semifinals on Wednesday.
Atletico have taken four points from Real in the league this season, having beaten them for the first time in 14 years in last year’s Copa del Rey final. Simeone, however, does not believe Atletico’s intimate knowledge of their rivals will necessarily work in their favour. ‘I don’t see it as an advantage or a disadvantage. The reality is that we know each other very well and have been playing each other for a really long time. We will be playing a powerful club who are used to the big European nights. It’s been many years since we’ve been there, so it will be a new experience for us, but we’ll be very eager and excited to play well in the final,’ he said. Atletico last appeared in a European Cup final in 1974, when they lost 4-0 to Bayern Munich in a replay at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels after a 1-1 draw in their first encounter.
Simeone has also taken the club to within two wins of a first La Liga crown since 1996, but the former Argentina midfielder played down suggestions that he is now the world’s pre-eminent coach.
‘I don’t think it’s the right time to think about that or talk about that. Right now I’m just focusing on our next game against Levante. I just want to congratulate the players and the staff at the club, because without their hard work we wouldn’t be here,’ he said.
Asked if it had been the best moment of his managerial career, Simeone replied: ‘Considering we were playing against such a big opponent at their own stadium always enhances the game. I’m happy with the second-half reaction. We controlled the game against world-class opponents. That will be the lasting memory of this game.’
Atletico have taken four points from Real in the league this season, having beaten them for the first time in 14 years in last year’s Copa del Rey final. Simeone, however, does not believe Atletico’s intimate knowledge of their rivals will necessarily work in their favour. ‘I don’t see it as an advantage or a disadvantage. The reality is that we know each other very well and have been playing each other for a really long time. We will be playing a powerful club who are used to the big European nights. It’s been many years since we’ve been there, so it will be a new experience for us, but we’ll be very eager and excited to play well in the final,’ he said. Atletico last appeared in a European Cup final in 1974, when they lost 4-0 to Bayern Munich in a replay at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels after a 1-1 draw in their first encounter.
Simeone has also taken the club to within two wins of a first La Liga crown since 1996, but the former Argentina midfielder played down suggestions that he is now the world’s pre-eminent coach.
‘I don’t think it’s the right time to think about that or talk about that. Right now I’m just focusing on our next game against Levante. I just want to congratulate the players and the staff at the club, because without their hard work we wouldn’t be here,’ he said.
Asked if it had been the best moment of his managerial career, Simeone replied: ‘Considering we were playing against such a big opponent at their own stadium always enhances the game. I’m happy with the second-half reaction. We controlled the game against world-class opponents. That will be the lasting memory of this game.’
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