Diego Simeone aimed a thinly-veiled dig at Arsenal's transfer expenditure after his Atletico Madrid side were eliminated from the Champions League. Bukayo Saka's first-half strike secured a 2-1 aggregate semi-final victory for the Gunners, who will face Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on May 30.
The Atletico head coach praised Mikel Arteta's work but suggested Arsenal's success is linked to their financial clout. Arsenal spent around £250million last summer on players including Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi.
Speaking after the match, Simeone said: "I think Mikel Arteta has done an incredible job at Arsenal. He's been trying to get to this point for a long time, to reach the Champions League final and to win the league. They have incredible financial power, and that's linked to what they're doing."
Despite heated scenes on the touchline late in the game, Simeone offered no complaints. "Controversies? Nothing to say, we're out. Congratulations to Arsenal because they compete very well," he added. "They have a team and a coach that I like. They follow a coherent project with strong financial backing."
Arteta described the occasion as an "incredible night" and hailed the supporters. "After 20 years, and the second time in our history, we are back in the Champions League final," he said. The victory came less than 24 hours after Manchester City drew 3-3 with Everton, leaving Arsenal in control of the Premier League title race and four matches from a potential double.
