Diego Simeone Insists Atletico Madrid Not Reaching Champions League Knockout Stage Is No Failure

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone believes that it shouldn't be a considered a failure that his side failed to make the knockout stages of the Champions League.

The 2014 and 2016 finalists have laboured throughout the entirety of their Champions League campaign, needing to beat Chelsea and hope Qarabag did them a favour against Roma to have any chance of making the pot for the knockout stages on Monday.

Instead, Atletico Madrid could only draw 1-1 against Chelsea while Roma's victory against Qarabag confirmed the Spanish side's place in the Europa League next year, although Simeone refuses to see their early exit from Europe's top club competition as a failure.

GLYN KIRK/GettyImages

Speaking to Sky Sports post-match, he said: "I wouldn't say it was a failure, because we knew this could happen.

"I think a failure is when you have an objective and you don't reach it, and we knew this could happen, so it is not a failure for us."

Atletico Madrid must now be content with a place in the Europa League knockout stage in a season that has seen Simeone's men under-perform both domestically in La Liga (currently 3rd) and now in Europe. 

Despite their indifferent form, Simeone was quick to put to rest any notion of easing off in Europe's secondary competition, whilst improving Madrid's form in their other competitions.

He continued, stating: "We need to carry on with the season and be valued at the end of the season.

"It is difficult to explain, but from now on we are just going to concentrate on what is coming, whether it be the Europa League, Copa del Rey or La Liga."

IAN KINGTON/GettyImages

Simeone will have to pick his side up as they return to domestic action this weekend, as his Atletico side face an away trip to play Real Betis to keep tabs with Barcelona at the top of La Liga.