Madrid: Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone refused to accept defeat despite the 3-0 Champions League semi-final first leg humbling away to Real Madrid which left his side’s chances of reaching a second successive final in tatters.
Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick on Tuesday to give Real Madrid a foot in the final and to leave Atletico with a seemingly impossible task as they look to overturn the deficit in front of their fans next week.
However, despite the size of the task and the fact his side failed to muster a shot on target on Tuesday night, Simeone was in a bullish mood.
“We call ourselves Atletico Madrid and we are able to do it,” he said in the Spanish press on Wednesday morning.
“I have a feeling of calmness, more than ever I am calm and now we are going to try and do something impossible,” he said, preparing the ground for what is sure to be a hostile atmosphere for Real as the Vicente Calderon Stadium hosts the last European game in its history next Wednesday night.
— IANS
