Atlético de Madrid returns home earlier than expected after their elimination in the group stage of the Club World Cup.
Atlético’s coach, Diego Simeone, attributed the elimination to the refereeing decisions.
Despite a 1-0 victory over Botafogo of Brazil in the last match of Group B, the team finished third in a difficult group, tied on points with Paris Saint-Germain and Botafogo, but with an unfavorable goal difference.
The 4-0 defeat to PSG was decisive for their aspirations in the tournament.
Proud of the boys’ work. We gave it our all. We won two out of three games and yet, sadly, we’re out. With six points, it wasn’t bad, but the match against PSG condemned us, where every refereeing decision was always against us. Today’s match also had a penalty decision disallowed after a VAR review. It’s more of the same. We know what we need to improve, and this will help us move forward.
Atlético arrived in the United States with high expectations, counting on players like Julián Álvarez and Antoine Griezmann.
Despite the dominant possession, Atlético did not trouble Botafogo’s defense and needed the interventions of their goalkeeper Jan Oblak. The defeat against PSG exposed defensive weaknesses and a lack of creativity. Atlético de Madrid faces challenges to rebuild and regain its status as a contender.We can’t focus on the referee. Sometimes we’re not at our best, and we need to address that.
Antoine Griezmann
