Diego Simeone fired a subtle dig at Arsenal after Atletico Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League. Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal just before half-time to secure a 2-1 aggregate semi-final victory for the Gunners.
The win sends Arsenal to the final in Budapest on May 30, where they will face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain. The match ended with heated scenes as Simeone appeared to shove Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta on the touchline.
Despite praising Mikel Arteta after the game, Simeone could not resist referencing Arsenal's spending power. The north London club invested around £250 million last summer on players such as Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, and Martin Zubimendi.
Simeone said: "I think Mikel Arteta has done an incredible job at Arsenal. He's been trying to reach 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. I'm really pleased for them. They deserve it. They've been working very hard for many years."
On the tense scenes towards full-time, Simeone raised no complaints, adding: "Controversies? Nothing to say, we're out. Congratulations to Arsenal because they compete very well. They have a team and a coach that I like. They follow a coherent project with strong financial backing. Congratulations to them, and we focus on our work."
Following Manchester City's 3-3 draw at Everton, which put the Premier League title race in Arsenal's hands, and their triumph over Atletico, Arteta's side are now just four matches away from completing a historic double and securing the greatest campaign in the club's 140-year history.
Arteta said: "It was an incredible night. We made history again together and I cannot be happier and prouder for everybody involved in this football club. The supporters were with us for every ball. They made it special and unique, and I have never felt it like that in this stadium. We knew how much it meant to everybody, we put everything on the line, the boys did an incredible job, and after 20 years, and the second time in our history, we are back in the Champions League final."
