'A bitter taste' - Koke brands Atletico Madrid's La Liga campaign a 'disaster' after final day thrashing by Villarreal
The curtain came down on the 2025-26 La Liga season in nightmare fashion for Atletico Madrid at La Ceramica. Seeking a victory to leapfrog Villarreal into third place, Diego Simeone's side were instead dismantled in a 5-1 thrashing. For Koke, the result was a reflection of a domestic campaign that fell far short of the standards expected at the Metropolitano.Speaking to Movistar+, via Marca, after the final whistle, the 34-year-old expressed his deep frustration with the team's lack of consistency in the league. He said: "[It leaves] A bitter taste in my mouth. In the Champions League, exciting; in the Cup, the penalties; in the League, we’ve been a disaster because we haven’t been able to fight for the title. We need to be higher up the table and let this serve us well for next season."Despite his captain's harsh words, Simeone took a more charitable view of their overall body of work. The Argentine pointed to their deep runs in knockout competitions, including a Champions League semi-final and a Copa del Rey final appearance, as evidence of progress despite the heavy defeat on the final day.He said: “I was always terrible with my grades; I didn’t do very well in school. We had a season that was somewhere between good and very good. Champions League semi-finals, Copa del Rey final, a total of 61 matches… Villarreal plays very well and had a very good league season, but they only competed in one competition. We came close to catching them; we had some very good moments: the Barcelona game, the victory over Real Madrid, lots of joy for our fans, even though everyone wants to win the league, not just finish third."The collapse against Villarreal comes at a time when Simeone has been vocal about the extreme pressure of the modern game. Before the final matchday, the Atleti boss shared his thoughts on the "snowball" effect of elite football, admitting he felt a kinship with Pep Guardiola's decision to leave Manchester City due to exhaustion.Noting that the stress of managing a high-profile squad every three days creates a relentless cycle, he said: "Yesterday I read a bit of what Guardiola said, his explanation in the press conference, and, if you changed the name – I clearly haven't won the trophies he has won – but I felt very identified with the story he was telling and which he explained very well."With the consequence of having to be exposed every three days, competing every three days, especially talking to the players for their involvement in the game beyond training sessions, the group management and all this generate a snowball that does not stop, which starts again two days after the game you last competed in."Finishing fourth behind the Yellow Submarine carries a financial penalty of approximately €7m in prize money. This marks only the second time in Simeone’s full tenure that his side has finished outside the top three.Big changes are expected to follow this bitter conclusion. With fresh investment arriving from Apollo Sports Capital, the club is preparing for a busy transfer window to revitalise the squad, with legendary forward Antoine Griezmann among those leaving. After a season of highs in Europe but significant lows at home, Atleti know they must recruit wisely to ensure they are fighting for the title again next term.
