Atletico Madrid’s captain, Koke Resurreccion, has delivered a harsh evaluation of his team’s performance in La Liga as the season concluded on Sunday. The veteran midfielder expressed his frustration following a decisive 5-1 loss to Villarreal, a result that capped off the season for both clubs.
The defeat meant Los Colchoneros missed the opportunity to leapfrog Villarreal into third place. This season marked only the second time under manager Diego Simeone that the team conceded five goals in a single match. Furthermore, it’s the second time Atletico has finished fourth under Simeone in a full season, having secured a top-three position in all other instances. Failing to secure third place also means a financial impact, costing the club approximately €7 million in prize money.
Koke: “The league season has been a disaster.”
Addressing the press after the significant loss, Koke offered a blunt and candid assessment of their league campaign.
“It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth,” Koke stated. “In the Champions League, it was exciting; in the Cup, penalties decided it; but in the League, we’ve been a disaster because we haven’t been able to fight for the title. We need to be higher up the table, and let this serve as a lesson for next season.”
Diego Simeone: “A season between good and very good.”
In contrast, Diego Simeone offered a more positive perspective on the season as a whole.
“I was always terrible with my grades; I didn’t do very well in school,” Simeone commented to Diario AS. “We had a season that was somewhere between good and very good. Reaching the Champions League semi-finals, the Copa del Rey final, a total of 61 matches… Villarreal plays very well and had a very good league season, but they only competed in one competition. We came close to catching them; we had some very good moments: the Barcelona game, the victory over Real Madrid, lots of joy for our fans. Even though everyone wants to win the league, not just finish third.”
While Atletico Madrid achieved their best cup performance in nearly a decade, they have finished outside the top four for the second time in three years. The club anticipates a busy summer ahead, with new investors Apollo Sports Capital injecting a sense of optimism.
