Diego Simeone hailed Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich as Europe’s finest after Atlético Madrid claimed a shock 2-0 win at Camp Nou in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
NOP NIGERIA reports that goals from Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sørloth sealed a rare win for the visitors in Catalonia. Simeone admitted the result was historic for his side.
“I don’t think my Atletico had ever won here at Camp Nou,” he said. “It’s an incredibly difficult place to come. Barcelona are arguably the best team in Europe, along with Paris and Bayern. Through good teamwork, we were able to capitalise on key moments in the match.”
The result, however, was quickly overshadowed by a fresh refereeing storm. Goalkeeper Juan Musso said his side felt aggrieved after a second-half incident involving teammate Marcos Pobel, which Atletico believed should have resulted in a penalty.
Musso praised the win but suggested the officiating had left the visitors frustrated. Television replays showed minimal contact in the penalty area, yet the goalkeeper labelled the decision not to award a spot kick “disappointing and difficult to comprehend”, hinting at a possible formal complaint.
Barcelona declined to address the incident publicly and instead focused on overturning the deficit in the return leg, although debate over VAR is expected to intensify before the rematch.
Another moment added fuel to the controversy when Atletico restarted play in the 54th minute. After receiving a short goal kick, Marc Poblet handled the ball before passing it again, prompting confusion among spectators. Musso defended the call, insisting the referee acted correctly.
“The referee made the correct interpretation of the situation; the ball was not in play. Marc caught it with his hand to pass it to me… He was the one who always passed to me during every goal kick we took,” he said.
Despite the off-field noise, Atletico head into the second leg with a strong advantage and growing belief. Musso kept the message simple. He said, “We know what we have to do. We must continue working, keep pushing, and ensure we’re prepared for the next 90 minutes.”
