THE CAMP NOU CURSE: DIEGO SIMEONE SECURES FIRST-EVER WIN AT BARCELONA AFTER 14 YEARS IN CHARGE
Diego Simeone makes history at Camp Nou. Read why Barcelona face a "massive task" after the 2-0 UCL first-leg loss.
Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth fired Atletico Madrid into a strong position with a 2-0 win over 10-man Barcelona in a tense Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday night. Barcelona seemed to have the upper hand at Camp Nou at least until Pau Cubarsi brought down Giuliano Simeone, who was clear through on goal. The ref initially showed Cubarsi a yellow, but after checking VAR, he switched it to a red. Alvarez then curled in the free kick, and with 20 minutes left, Sorloth added a second. Suddenly, Atletico looked well on their way to the semi-finals.
Diego Simeone’s team have never won the Champions League, though they came close in 2014 and 2016, only to lose both finals to bitter rivals Real Madrid.
“We have things to learn,” admitted Antoine Griezmann afterwards. “Of course, we’re happy, but we’re not there yet. There’s still 90 minutes to go, maybe more, so we have to stay grounded.”
Barcelona, who made the semis last year, now face a massive task in Madrid next Tuesday if they want to keep their dreams alive. Defender Ronald Araujo isn’t giving up. “It’ll be tough, but if anyone can do it, it’s us.”
Not surprisingly, coach Hansi Flick was furious at how VAR was used. He saw Cubarsi get sent off after a review, but thought Atletico got away with a potential handball from Marc Pubill in the second half. The incident saw Pubill handle the ball after keeper Juan Musso passed it out for him to take the goal kick, and Flick insisted it should’ve gotten another look. “The VAR was very focused today for Atletico. He’s a German guy, so thanks, Germany,” Flick said, noticeably sarcastic. “For me, it’s a clear red card, then everything changes.”
Simeone, though, called it “common sense.”
This was the second of three meetings between these clubs in just two weeks. Atletico already knocked Barcelona out of the Copa del Rey last month.
Barcelona actually started well. Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, kept causing problems down the left. Meanwhile, Atletico tried to close down Lamine Yamal on the right, opening up more space for Rashford. The first good chances fell to the England forward, but Musso shut the door each time.
Atletico had their threats too, with Alvarez recently linked to a move to Barcelona, testing Joan Garcia in goal. Rashford kept breaking away from Nahuel Molina and even found the net, but the goal was chalked off for offside earlier in the move. Even with three defenders chasing him, 18-year-old Yamal still managed to dance free and force a save from Robin Le Normand.
Atletico captain Koke may have ridden his luck in the first half, picking up just a yellow after a string of hard fouls, much to the frustration of the home crowd.
That all changed before half-time. With Griezmann quiet, Barcelona held control until 19-year-old Cubarsi’s clumsy chase brought down Giuliano Simeone, giving Kovacs the choice to upgrade his yellow to a red after checking VAR. Then, Alvarez stepped up and curled the free kick straight into the top corner. Barcelona found themselves a goal down and a man down.
Even so, they kept pushing. Rashford kept coming close, Yamal set him up for another big chance, but after rounding Musso, Rashford hit the side netting. He had a free-kick tipped over as well. But then, against the run of play, Atletico struck again. Griezmann and Matteo Ruggieri combined well, with Ruggieri crossing for Sorloth. Sorloth brushed off Gerard Martin and drilled his shot past Garcia.
This defeat marked Barcelona’s first loss at home since Camp Nou reopened in November 2025, and it was also Simeone’s first-ever win at the stadium as Atletico boss after 14 years in charge. Atletico hadn’t won there since 2006, so this was a huge step toward the one trophy they still desperately want.
ARSENAL POCKET INSANE £125.18M FOLLOWING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL QUALIFICATION
Mikel Arteta's side has added £15.97m to their cash reserves, eclipsing the total earned by current champions PSG last year.
Arsenal have added another £15.97 million to their UEFA prize money haul after securing a spot in the Champions League final with a win against Atletico Madrid. They are set to face either Bayern Munich or the current champions, Paris Saint-Germain, in Budapest on May 30, aiming for their first-ever triumph in this prestigious competition.
Beyond that, there’s an additional £5.61 million up for grabs in Hungary later this month. But up to now, Arsenal have amassed an eye-watering £125.18 million in Champions League prize money this season alone. A place in next season’s European Super Cup also carries a potential reward of around £3.45 million. It’s been a remarkable European run under Mikel Arteta, with the team dominating the group stage by winning all eight matches.
From the very beginning, the club benefited from the initial distribution of TV revenue and the rankings pool, which together amounted to £49.6 million. Even before the knockout rounds kicked off, Arsenal had already secured £85.3 million in prize money.
That total doesn’t even cover the bonuses linked to their on-field success, as each of their eight victories in the group stage brought in roughly £15.8 million altogether.
By finishing first out of 36 group-phase clubs, Arsenal earned an extra £8.6 million, and progressing straight to the round of 16 as one of the top eight teams secured them another £11.3 million.
They continued their strong run by eliminating Bayer Leverkusen after a 1-1 draw away and a 2-0 win at the Emirates, which added £10.8 million more to their earnings.
Overcoming Sporting CP in the quarter-finals also brought a £10.8 million bonus. While Arsenal’s motivation isn’t just financial, this level of income certainly aids in meeting profit and sustainability rules and other financial fair play criteria.
It’s also likely to support their summer transfer budget, as sporting director Andrea Berta looks to build on Arteta’s squad.
Last season, Arsenal took home £98.63 million after reaching the semi-finals before falling to PSG.
PSG, who went on to win the title, collected about £124.62 million last year, so Arsenal have now already surpassed that figure.
Meanwhile, UEFA has set aside a record £2.13 billion in prize money for the 2025-26 Champions League season, highlighting the competition’s growing financial stakes.
JAN OBLAK CONFESSES ATLETICO WERE "AFRAID TO PLAY" AGAINST ARSENAL
Following their Champions League exit, skipper Jan Oblak analysed where Atletico went wrong and paid tribute to Griezmann.
Jan Oblak didn’t hold back after Atletico Madrid crashed out of the Champions League against Arsenal. He said straight up that the team just didn’t do enough to earn a spot in the final. Sure, he’s proud of how far the squad has come recently, but the way they went out still stings.
Oblak was pretty open about where things went wrong, especially after the first leg, when Atletico failed to take an advantage back to London. “I'm disappointed, just like all the fans. Honestly, I can’t find the words. We didn’t do enough to be in the final, and it’s just a tough moment. We had our chances to win, but we didn’t take them. All that’s left is to congratulate Arsenal.”
He didn’t stop there, either. Speaking to CBS Golazo, Oblak was even more direct about the team’s mentality, especially in the first half of both matches. He felt Atletico were hesitant, too respectful of Arsenal, and afraid to play. Both times, they fell behind before halftime and then tried to play catch-up, but it was always a little too late. “This has happened several times this season,” Oblak said, “and while we’ve managed to win those games before, not today when it mattered most.”
On the flip side, Oblak did give some credit to the young players and the growth the team’s shown, especially after a couple of big summers that saw a huge part of the squad change. “The last two seasons, we’ve switched out something like 15 players. A lot of young guys with not much experience came in. They did great in the cup, and they’ve held up in the Champions League too. In the league, we weren’t good enough for the biggest matches, but I’m proud of how the younger ones are growing. Still, when the goal is to win a title, and you don’t, you can’t call it a success. All we can do is look forward and hope we’ll be fighting for trophies next season.”
Saying goodbye to Antoine Griezmann made this exit even sadder for Oblak and the rest of the squad. Griezmann’s heading to Orlando City this summer, bringing the curtain down on his Champions League career with Atletico. “Everyone’s going to miss Griezi; he’s an incredible player and a great guy. The kind of person who’s always smiling, always positive, and does things on the pitch nobody else can. We’ll miss him a lot; the fans will miss him, but he deserves nothing but the best wherever he goes.”
At 33, Oblak is one of Atletico’s true leaders, right behind Koke for the captain’s armband. Alongside Jose Maria Gimenez and Marcos Llorente, he’s been a
_1777554856.webp)
