In Madrid, Atlético’s derby victory over Real Madrid was followed by a sharp appeal for restraint from Diego Simeone, who refused to let José Mourinho’s post-match comments overshadow what his side had achieved on the pitch. The Atlético coach said status and reputation do not excuse anyone from abandoning respect.
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Simeone said the game’s most prominent coaches must recognise the weight of their words because they operate under constant public scrutiny. He named himself, Mourinho, Hansi Flick and Manuel Pellegrini as figures who should all meet the same standard.
“We must respect other people’s opinions,” Simeone said. “We are all in a privileged and highly exposed position, so we need to be careful with what we say and show respect.”
The Argentine’s message was that defeat is part of football, but personal boundaries should remain intact afterwards. “Everyone loses at some point,” he said, adding that crossing the line of respect is dangerous and that no surname, including Mourinho’s or his own, puts anyone above it.
On the match itself, Simeone praised Atlético’s collective discipline against a Real Madrid side he described as exceptionally dangerous in transition. He believed his team had largely contained those breaks, identifying one second-half moment when Cuti and Marcos Llorente collided and allowed Diomande through as the main exception.
He also declined to make the refereeing decisions the centre of his assessment. Simeone recalled that the head of referees had previously explained that incidents like the one involving Cuti should not lead to a dismissal.
“If we want to stop and debate that, we can,” he said. “But we won the match.”
Asked whether Atlético had been the better footballing side, Simeone would not accept that framing. Instead, he pointed to the defensive work of the whole group against elite opponents and said Atlético had succeeded in keeping them under control.
For the club’s supporters, the derby win carried a wider meaning. Simeone reflected on how difficult victories of this kind had once been for Atlético, particularly 15 years ago, and said the celebration around the team was another sign of its continued development.
“I know what the players delivered and what the happiness of our people means,” he said. “It is another step forward for this team.”
