Opinion: Simeone's triple anger – players, referee and Hjulmand

After listening to Simeone, Rubén Uría breaks his frustration down into three fronts: with a team that failed to cope with pressing he had seen coming, with UEFA and the referee over the penalty, and with Hjulmand over the red card.

Having heard Simeone's press conference in Stuttgart, Rubén Uría offers his reading of the Atlético coach's frustration and splits it into three sources of anger.

The first is with his own team: Simeone had predicted what would happen and how Stuttgart would press, and yet his players could not find an answer. The second is with UEFA and the referee, over the penalty not given for a foul on Hancko. The third is with Morten Hjulmand because, in Rubén's view, the coach feels he had warned him and that, at that point, Atleti had the game exactly where he wanted it.

Atlético conceded two chances in 40 seconds and were pushed to the limit by the Germans' pressing, something Simeone had already warned about before the game. Hence the anger. Hjulmand went to ground in a challenge where it was not strictly necessary and ended up taking an early bath after being sent off, something Simeone had also cautioned against before kick-off. Anger number two. And Hancko was denied a blatant penalty that neither the referee nor VAR gave. A triple dose of anger for Simeone, who came to win and ended up leaving, at least, without losing.

Rubén concludes that Simeone was very honest and very direct about what he experienced in the match.