After the big 5-2 win over Tottenham in the first leg of the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, Atletico Madrid's coach Diego Simeone addressed a series of important points in the press conference, expressing his views with realistic confidence.

Simeone described the victory as “very important” and stated that his team succeeded in creating positive situations from the start and capitalized on the opportunities presented, noting that the overall performance of the team was good, especially in the second half where their superiority was clear, even though Tottenham reduced the deficit.

The Argentine coach emphasized that the large result in the first leg does not guarantee qualification, and that the return leg in London will be a tough match requiring great focus.

He said that the return match “will require suffering and concentration as in all European matches,” affirming that every match at this stage requires a lot of tactical savvy and physical effort.

Simeone was asked about the surprising changes in Tottenham's lineup, particularly the exit of goalkeeper Antonin Kinski after the first quarter of an hour of the match, to which he responded simply and realistically: “I have not seen such a thing at the professional level before,” but he quickly added that he does not see this as “his concern,” and that he does not like to comment on the decisions of rival teams or what the other team's coach does.

Simeone praised his team's overall performance, highlighting the role of the fans and the importance of maintaining the same spirit and focus in work instead of relying solely on the result.

He confirmed that the big win reflects Atletico's approach to early pressure and exploiting the opponent's mistakes, but warned against falling into the trap of complacency before the return match in London.