Eliminated Early In The 2025 Club World Cup, Atletico Madrid Must Improve!

JAKARTA - The revival of Atletico Madrid to fight for a ticket to qualify for the knockout stages of the 2025 Club World Cup is in vain.

1-0 victory over Botafogo in the last match of Group B, Tuesday, June 24, 2025 WIB, was not enough to bring them to the top two.

They had to settle for ending the group stage in third place with a collection of six points, the same as Paris Saint-Germain and Botafogo who finally qualified for the round of 16.

Diego Simeone's team had to pack a suitcase early because they lost in the goal difference to PSG and Botafogo.

However, for Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, the biggest reason his team did not enter the round of 16, it was clear, namely the referee.

Most of the damage occurred in a landslide 0-4 defeat in the group's opening match against PSG. The score, which ultimately proved fatal to their ambitions in the race for the title, was worth millions of dollars from the FIFA.

When reflecting on the match, Simeone expressed his pride for the efforts of his players, but regretted what he considered a bad referee.

"Proud to the hard work of the children. We gave everything we had. We won two of three games. Even so, unfortunately we were eliminated."

"With six points, it wasn't bad. However, the match against PSG condemned us, where every referee's decision always harmed us."

"Today's match also had a penalty decision canceled after the VAR review. We know what we need to improve. These results will help us progress," Simeone told DAZN after a win over Botafogo.

Simeone's team arrived in the United States with high hopes. They brought Argentine striker Julian Alvarez, former French captain Antoine Griezmann, and several other international names.

However, their crushing defeat to PSG and their overall less excited performance raised further questions about the direction of the team under Simeone who had been in office for a long time.

Griezmann stood out against Botafogo, scored a decisive goal, and provided rare sparks for a team that struggled to emulate the defensive prowess seen in Simeone's best years, as they reached their two Champions League finals.

"We can't focus on referees. Sometimes we're not in the best form. We have to deal with it," Griezmann said after winning over Botafogo.

Despite dominating possession, Atletico rarely bothered Botafogo's organized defense and needed their goalkeeper Jan Oblak to show a miracle to avoid the worst result.

PSG's previous defeat has exposed already known weaknesses, including a weak defense against wingers and a lack of creativity in the final third - a problem that has plagued them for four seasons without successive trophies.

What adds to Atletico's misery is seeing tough rivals, Real Madrid, who are ready to advance at the 2025 Club World Cup.

With introspection periods beyond the season, Atletico faces a huge challenge to rebuilding and reclaiming the status of competitors across all lines.