Diego Simeone isn’t hiding his frustration—but he’s standing by his team.
After Atletico Madrid bowed out of the FIFA Club World Cup despite picking up six points, their manager pointed to the strength of their group as the deciding factor.
Atletico managed a 1–0 victory over Brazil’s Botafogo on Monday, with Antoine Griezmann scoring the match-winner. Still, it wasn’t enough. The Spanish side missed out on progressing to the Round of 16—knocked out on goal difference.
Speaking after the game, Simeone defended his players’ efforts.
“People will focus on the fact that we’re out,” he said, “but this was the toughest group in the tournament. We didn’t fall short on effort—we were just edged out on goals.”
He added that Atletico is no stranger to fierce competition. “We deal with pressure every week. We play in a league with Barcelona and Real Madrid. We know what it takes to fight.”
Reflecting on the group stage, Simeone noted, “We played against champions—Champions League winners, Libertadores winners. We had the same points as them. We’re disappointed, sure, but not defeated. We know where we need to do better.”
Griezmann, who found the net in the final match, shared the disappointment too. After the whistle, he admitted they had hoped for more.
“We’re upset—we came here to go further,” he said. “We had our chances. We should’ve scored more.”
He didn’t hold back on his thoughts about the officiating either.
“Honestly, the referees didn’t help. Some of the decisions felt against us. But that’s football. Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t. This time, it didn’t.”
With their early exit confirmed, Atletico now turn their attention back to domestic competition—frustrated, but far from finished.
