Pep Guardiola claimed that he had by no means criticised Atlético Madrid’s model, after a tense, edgy night time which ended with Manchester Metropolis hanging on to a one-goal result in attain the Champions League semi‑finals and a struggle within the tunnel. However Diego Simeone, the Atlético supervisor, didn’t look like shopping for Guardiola’s rationalization, insisting: “We’re not silly.”
Koke Resurrección, Atlético’s captain, accused Metropolis of “falling on the ground and losing time”, simply as Atlético had been accused of doing, one thing that was admitted afterwards by the midfielder Rodri, who famous “all the things’s licit in soccer” however insisted it was solely the case within the ultimate “5 to 10 minutes”.
There had been a mass confrontation within the nook simply earlier than the ultimate whistle. And Simeone denied he had sarcastically applauded the Metropolis bench, insisting he was clapping the followers.
There was additionally bother within the tunnel, with the police compelled to intervene. Footage confirmed Stefan Savic and Jack Grealish confront one another whereas Sime Vrsaljko needed to be held again as he could possibly be seen throwing one thing and spitting at Metropolis employees. Requested about that footage, Guardiola replied: “Nothing to say.” Simeone stated he had not been there and never seen something. Metropolis’s supervisor did, although, reply to strategies that it was ironic that he had adopted the method Atlético had been accused of, by insisting these accusations had not come from him.
On the finish of the primary leg Guardiola had famous that “ever since prehistory” it has been laborious to face a group that defends very deep with two strains of 5, phrases that had been interpreted as a dig by many in Spain, maybe even together with Simeone himself.
“I’ve solely ever had good phrases to say about him,” Guardiola stated after the second leg. “He can play nonetheless he desires, in fact. I might by no means say in any other case. All I stated was that it is rather laborious. And so they understand how to try this higher than anybody on this planet.”
Requested if Guardiola had proven a scarcity of respect, Simeone stated: “I don’t have to supply an opinion about whether or not somebody is talking properly [of us] or not. Usually, those that are very eloquent are very clever and have a means of praising you dismissively. However these of us who perhaps have much less eloquence should not silly.”
The Fiver: enroll and get our day by day soccer electronic mail.
In the long run, Metropolis needed to cling on to a lead, in search of to run down the clock to discover a means by. “We had no different selection,” Guardiola stated. “Atlético had been completely good. I don’t like taking part in that means in any respect however this group [Atlético] taking part in like his with their individuals behind them are nearly unstoppable. All I stated was that when a group performs that means very, very properly, it’s very troublesome. Nothing else.
“Don’t be mistaken, I by no means criticised Atlético,” Guardiola stated. “They pushed us again, we forgot tips on how to play. That’s to their credit score. We’re celebrating going by however after that second half we could possibly be out. We had been in massive, massive bother. They’d possibilities to attain, however they didn’t in the long run.
“If we play within the semi-final like we did within the second half, we don’t have any probability.”
Atlético’s captain, Koke, identified that Metropolis’s gamers went to floor to waste time within the second half. “Numerous the time we get criticised for this example, and now let’s see what individuals consider this right now,” he stated. “You’ve seen it, you’ll be able to specific an opinion.”
Rodri stated: “All the things is licit in soccer. We tried to play. It’s true that in the long run, due to the standard of your opponent, we had been boxed in and when there are 5 or 10 minutes left you play with that weapon [time wasting]. I’m not in favour of doing it the remainder of the time, however in the long run typically it occurs. When that [the melee] occurred, I attempted to remain out of it; it’s my group mates and my ex-teammates and it isn’t in any respect nice for me.”
“We performed absolutely the very best group in the very best group on this planet and we competed,” Simeone concluded. “Soccer has many aspects, methods of taking part in, and I’m not going to have an opinion on what our opponents’ behaviour was like.”
