Real Madrid have faced many disappointments against archrivals Atletico Madrid in recent years but none more so than this campaign. Carlo Ancelotti has failed to beat his opposition counterpart – Diego Simeone – in six attempts this campaign. Speaking ahead of the Champions League quarter-final match between the two teams, the former Chelsea boss stated that Simeone has proved in the last five years that he is one of the best managers in the world. The Argentine managed to do the unthinkable by leading Atletico Madrid, who have been in the shadows of their illustrious rivals for several decades, to a league title last season.
They almost managed to beat Real in the final of the Champions League. The two teams are coming up against each other in the quarter-finals in what will be a major test for Ancelotti. Real Madrid’s hopes of winning the league title have been rekindled this weekend after Barcelona drew level with Sevilla. However, this is unlikely to take any focus away from the European competition in which Madrid are the defending champions. Ancelotti himself is under huge pressure after seeing the team suffered three defeats in the month of March alone. A 3-0 win over Eibar during the weekend marked the preparations for this match.
“What can I say about Simeone?. He is a great coach, I like him a lot. He has proved himself, he is one of the best in the world. It’s an honour to face him and also a problem.We don’t have an obsession with Atletico, but with reaching the final of the Champions League. Our objective is not to beat Atletico, but to dream of winning the Champions League.Every match presents its own problem. Every match has its idea. Every defeat was different. It’s difficult to say what happened,” said Ancelotti.
