Diego Simeone was spotted chatting with Hansi Flick after the final whistle on Tuesday night as Atletico beat Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate to go through to the final of the Copa del Rey.
Flick’s side almost pulled off a stunning comeback, winning 3-0 on the night but not doing quite enough to send the game into extra-time.
Simeone was asked afterwards what he said to Flick and admitted he had congratulated the coach on his team’s performance.
> “He was telling me his opinion on situations that happened in the match, and I told him they played brilliantly. I hope we can face each other in the Champions League quarterfinals so we can compete at our best,” he said.
> “Today, when we were up 3-0, I said, ‘This is Atleti.’
> “Pedri, Balde, Bernal... made a tremendous effort. It was difficult to maintain the intensity of the first half. Giménez’s entrance gave us maturity. And that maturity is needed within a team.”
The two teams can meet again in the Champions League quarter-finals if both make it through their last-16 matches.
Both teams face English opposition in the last 16. Barcelona are up against Newcastle, while Atletico are due to face Tottenham Hotspur.
