Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone hailed the battling spirit of his side as they secured a La Liga top four finish.
Los Rojiblancos will compete in the Champions League again next season, in their 11th successive campaign, as the Argentinian got them back on track in 2023.
Poor league form at the back end of 2022, coupled with a Champions League group stage exit, put Atletico in a tough spot before the World Cup.
However, Simeone and his players have shown trademark resilience to force their way back into the top four, with a 3-0 weekend win over Almeria capping their recovery.
What a finish that is from Saúl to double Atleti's lead 💥
"You cannot hit a football more cleanly than that." 🎙 pic.twitter.com/eAkGosP1oA
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) May 21, 2023
Atletico could still edge out Real Madrid in the race for second place and Simeone had a message for those who doubted him and his squad.
“In November we were told we were ‘almost dead’. We worked day after day, looking for what we could control”, as per reports from Marca.
“We worried about what we could improve. The boys followed the plan and we are still alive.”
Atletico face a tough end to the season, heading to relegation battling Espanyol in midweek, before final games against Europe chasing Real Sociedad and Villarreal.
