Diego Simeone Defends Atletico Madrid Ahead of Champions League Final vs. Real

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has defended his team’s playing style ahead of the UEFA Champions League final against rivals Real Madrid, comparing his team to a Peugeot and others to a Ferrari, while stating he has to work within his means.

The Rojiblancos were criticised for their tactics in the 2-1 loss against Bayern Munich in the second leg of the semi-finals, which saw the team advance on away goals after an aggregate score of 2-2.

Atletico played defensively in that match, but when asked about the criticism, Simeone said he has to take into account the talent at his disposal, per AS (h/t Football Espana, via Eurosport):

"

There are a lot of ways to play well. It’s clear that the objective is to win. If you’re on a national team you can choose how you play but…when you’re at a club where the budget varies from one number to another, it’s clear that first you have to work to win.

If we all had a Ferrari that’d be one thing, but sometimes you have a Peugeot. We’re all right in football and the path can be reached in several ways. Then there is what you like and you can’t be angry with the opinions.

"

Atletico will be appearing in their second Champions League final in the last three seasons and have rapidly become a European heavyweight, but unlike Real, Barcelona or Bayern Munich, their squad isn’t built out of major stars.

CHRISTOF STACHE/Getty Images

For every Antoine Griezmann or Diego Godin, established stars rightly considered world-class talents, there’s a player like Augusto Fernandez or Stefan Savic—two talented players who aren’t exactly world-famous names but who still started against the Bavarians.

Simeone has also been forced to deal with a lot of turnover, as Atletico have sold a number of stars in the last few years. ESPN FC’s Dermot Corrigan shared this telling statistic:

While Atletico don’t always dazzle with their play, their approach isn’t new. Plenty of clubs have battled possession-based teams by playing defensive football and countering at pace. Bayern manager Pep Guardiola has been seeing those tactics for years—it’s exactly how Chelsea beat Barcelona in 2012.

Per WhoScored.com, Atleti have scored the third-most goals in La Liga this year, so they’re certainly not parking the bus. Their defensive numbers are spectacular, however, per Squawka Football:

ESPN FC’s Miguel Delaney reserved high praise for the team:

Leicester City used a similar approach to win the 2015-16 Premier League title, as manager Claudio Ranieri got the most out of a team lacking the budget and raw talent of some of their competitors, like Arsenal and Manchester City.

With Real also making the final, Simeone and his troops will have the chance to avenge the heartbreaking defeat of 2014, where Atletico came within minutes of a major upset. But according to Simeone, revenge isn’t on the team’s mind:

"

It’s not revenge, it’s a new opportunity. Last time we didn’t rest but this time we have 14 days to prepare before the final and to arrive in the best possible way.

It’s 50-50. We know a lot about them. What we’re doing will go down in history because we’re showing the world what we can do. Barcelona, Madrid, Bayern Munich, they’re better but beware, because we’re there.

"

Atletico have yet to lose against Los Blancos this season, playing out a 1-1 draw at the Estadio Vicente Calderon in October and beating Real 1-0 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in February.

Real have beaten Atletico just once in their last 10 meetings.

Follow @ReverschPass