Simeone says he takes “absolute responsibility” for loss to Celta Vigo

Diego Simeone says he “as calm as ever” after Atlético Madrid’s 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo on Sunday night.

“I’m not worried,” he said. “Because it’s a wake-up call.

“It wasn’t a good game, they didn’t let us make any plays, not even the possible penalty for [Nikola] Kalinić. It’s a wake-up call, for me firstly, because against Rayo [Vallecano], we didn’t play well in the last 10 minutes and I have absolute responsibility for what happened...I probably wasn’t clear as to what I wanted in the second half,” he said.

It is Atlético’s worst start in the league under Cholo Simeone after a summer where they outlined their intent to compete on all fronts, with expensive signings and plenty of comments regarding being competitive.

Saúl Ñíguez said “the game wasn’t how we wanted and we have to take the international break to think about our faults and try to correct them,” while Thomas Partey said that “we can’t keep playing like this.”

The early season warnings are becoming a regular feature for Atlético, after Antoine Griezmann’s warning two seasons ago that the side might be relegated if they keep playing the way they did. That stark comment came after a matchday two draw against newly-promoted Leganés.