Simeone stays positive after another heartbreaking defeat by Atletico against city rival Real Madrid

MADRID (AP) — Coach Diego Simeone led Atletico Madrid fans to cheer his players after another heartbreaking defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

He waved his arms frantically and tried to get the stunned crowd to chant and applaud as his players gathered near midfield, still in awe after the penalty-shootout loss to Real Madrid in the round of 16 on Wednesday.

The crowd at Metropolitano Stadium responded, recognizing the team’s efforts despite the hard-to-swallow defeat.

Simeone tried to focus on the bright side, praising Atletico Madrid’s grit and celebrating the fact that his team again put on another good fight against the 15-time European champion.

“There is no doubt the fans are hurt because of the elimination, but they know that their team left everything on the field and they deserved the applause that they received,” he said.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t advance, but I leave in peace,” Simeone said. “Yes, we haven’t been able to beat Real Madrid in the Champions League, but they have always suffered against us. I’m sure that, when they’ll be talking to each other by themselves, they’ll be saying, ‘These guys always made it tough for us.’”

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It was the fifth consecutive setback against the city rival in the Champions League, and probably the hardest blow yet to Atletico Madrid fans because the defeat came while the team was in good form and in commanding position to finally end its slump against Real Madrid.

“This was a heads or tails situation and today we called heads and won,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “But Atleti go out of this competition with their heads held high. No question.”

Alvarez double touch

The excruciating manner of the defeat didn’t help ease the pain for Atletico Madrid supporters. It came after an odd double touch by Julián Álvarez in the penalty shootout.

It was another exceptional moment in the rivalry.

There was the stoppage-time goal by Sergio Ramos that forced extra time in the 2014 final in Lisbon, and the missed penalty kick by Antoine Griezmann in regulation in another shootout loss in the 2016 final in Milan.

The referee did not initially see the double touch by Álvarez and it took video reviews to intervene to erase the goal and leave Real Madrid in position to win.

It wasn’t clear to Simeone that the double touch actually happened. The coach asked reporters in the post-match news conference to raise their hands if they thought Álvarez touched the ball twice.

“There you go, no one has raised their hands,” Simeone said, “Next question.”

Focus on La Liga

Simeone, who has helped to turn Atletico Madrid into a perennial contender against Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain after he took over in 2011, admitted it won’t be easy to overcome the disappointment of Wednesday’s elimination. But he vowed to get his players to focus on what is still left for the club to win this season — La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

Atletico drew with Barcelona 4-4 in the first leg of the Copa last month, and the return match takes place at the Metropolitano next month. Atletico Madrid trails Barcelona and Real Madrid by one point in La Liga, where on Sunday it will host the Catalan club.

“We will be tired and we will be disappointed for having lost after competing in both matches the way we should have competed,” Simeone said. “But we will give everything that we still have left, there’s no doubt about that.”

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