The Madrid classic ended in a one-one draw in which it seems neither team was satisfied with the result. Real Madrid maintains the lead, with a one-point advantage over Atlético de Madrid and two over FC Barcelona. Diego Pablo Simeone wanted to mention the Catalan team after the match, something that didn't sit well with Madrid fans.
He called the blaugrana "the best team in LaLiga." These words didn't go unnoticed and have caused a great stir. Especially in the Madrid environment, where they have been interpreted as a provocation after an intense classic filled with refereeing controversy.
Simeone and His Praise for Barcelona: Poisoned Message?
After the match, Simeone analyzed his team's performance, valuing the effort made and highlighting that the draw could have been a victory for either side. However, the Argentine coach surprised everyone by mentioning FC Barcelona, leaving a statement that has been widely commented on.
"We are in a very good position, Barcelona is the best team, they play very well. If they manage to win in Seville, the table will be very tight. And it will be very good for the journalists to have some fun together there." Simeone's statement didn't sit well in the Real Madrid environment, where many interpreted that the Argentine was throwing an indirect jab.
His View of the Match
"I thought there were situations to solve better, we couldn't have the clarity to find ourselves in that situation. That made the match end in a draw despite the feeling that in many passages of the match it seemed we could win." Commented the Argentine coach, who wasn't entirely satisfied with the draw achieved at Bernabéu by his team.
He also spoke about the impact of the substitutions on the match: "When Sorloth and Correa came in, we started to have more defensive structure. The back-and-forth game wasn't good for us. It was perceived that they attacked better, attacked better on the left, on the right. The changes gave us the option to compete and reach with chances to win the match," concluded the Argentine coach.