
Spoelstra: No need to penalize Ball any further
Erik Spoelstra supports no further penalties for LaMelo Ball after flagrant foul.
Diego Simeone expressed deep emotion after Atlético Madrid's 3-2 aggregate victory over Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals, marking their fourth semifinal appearance in 14 years. He praised his team's resilience and effort despite facing a challenging opponent.
MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 14: Diego Pablo Simeone, head coach of Atletico de Madrid, reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg match between Atletico de Madrid and FC Barcelona at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on April 14, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images
Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone was a man of many emotions after the final whistle gave his side a 3-2 aggregate win over Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday night at the Metropolitano.
âPhew, itâs been 14 years, and honestly, seeing the team still competing really moves me,â a jubilant Simeone reflected in his post-match comments.
He added, âthe players have changed, weâve had to start over countless times, and here we are again among the top four in Europeâ, before explaining, âwe faced a team that plays extraordinarily well, with incredible speed, theyâre hard to contain, we put in a huge effort after going down 0-2, despite individual mistakes and we managed to get back into the game and stay calm. Then the 1-2 was a great goal. The second half was more balanced. Bringing on Nico, Baena, and SĂžrloth gave us energy, and they started to lose that speed, leaving the crosses for Araujo and Lewandowskiâ.
âYes, but it could happen. Theyâre very good. When you play against teams like that and make mistakes, they donât forgive you. It could happen: we were thinking they might score one or two goals. We had to play, attack, and impose ourselves. The game wasnât about defending, even if the opponent forces you into it whether you want to or not. Sometimes you donât want to defend, but they force you into it because you canât take the ball away from them.â
âWeâd spoken before the match. He didnât have to prove anything to us. I know him: heâs extraordinary, an incredible professional, a player with great qualities and room for improvement. That mistake happened, and itâs not easy to carry on, but he showed composure, grit, and leadership to play a difficult match. He went from strength to strength, finishing very well.â
âEvery time we face them, we know thereâs only one way to approach it: to attack them. They had more possession this time; in the previous match, it was more even. If you donât attack them, you lose. Theyâre very good at attacking. We knew the chances weâd have. In the Copa del Rey, we had a fantastic first half here and then had to suffer there. In the first leg of the Champions League, we capitalized on the key moments that went our way, and that 0-2 lead gave us some breathing room for a tough match. The way JuliĂĄn and Griezmann ran⊠the work of Llorente, Nahuel, and Koke, Matteoâs incredible performance⊠how the substitutes came in. It gave us tremendous strength.â
âItâs the fourth, yes. Playing a Champions League semifinal⊠wow, thatâs great. Weâll go in with all our enthusiasm and faith. We know our strengths and our weaknesses. We have a lot of faith, weâre prepared, and weâll go after what weâve been chasing for many years.â
âI donât care. We need to restâwe have a final coming up on Saturday.â
Atlético Madrid secured their place by defeating Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in the quarterfinals.
Simeone highlighted the team's emotional journey and resilience, noting their ability to recover after going down 0-2.
The match took place on April 14, 2026, at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid.
Atlético faced challenges from Barcelona's speed and skill but managed to regain control and balance in the second half.

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