The dream of Athletic of Madrid. Cholo Simeone's pupils could not surpass a RB Leipzig which is confirmed as the great surprise of the Champions League by sneaking into the semifinals of the tournament. Some semifinals that will play this Tuesday against him Paris saint germain from 9 pm in Lisbon.
In this cruel way ended the most unusual season in football history. A campaign in which the colchoneros have gone through several very different stages. In fact in the Champions League they achieved their great turning point after eliminating Liverpool against all odds. Right after that came the pandemic, the confinement and a break that became a real therapy for the pupils of Simeone.
From which they came out strengthened and made an excellent League final in which they went from occupying the sixth position in the classification to third place. Everyone thought that qualification for the Champions League was in danger and the rojiblancos qualified with two days left. After that great moment, everything indicated that the Champions Leagues was going to be the icing on the cake for the mattresses.
And it is that since the Cholo Simeone to the bench of Athletic of Madrid, the rojiblancos have always been present in a European final in an even year. A tradition that had already started two years before Quique Sánchez Flores reaching the final of the Europa League in 2010. Final that he won the same as in 2012. In 2014 and 2016 he lost the Champions League title in the last game against Real Madrid. In 2018 he repeated the final and title in the Europa League.
An elimination that assumes that the Athletic he cannot play his seventh semifinal. Far are those that fell against him Real Madrid in 1958, the Ajax in 1971 or 1974 in which he left Celtic out and faced the Bayern Munich in the end. More recent we have the last three in 2014 left out the Chelsea, in 2016 to Bayern Munich and in 2017 he could not with the Real Madrid.
Now a sour vacation will begin to regain strength. Right after that they will return to start preparing for the 2020-21 season. A campaign that will be altered by the Coronavirus pandemic.