Koke leaves Atlético future open after Arsenal semifinal defeat

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LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 05: Koke of Atletico de Madrid gestures a shirt pull as he speaks to Referee Daniel Siebert during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Semi Final Second Leg match between Arsenal FC and Atletico de Madrid at Arsenal Stadium on May 05, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) | UEFA via Getty Images

Atlético Madrid captain Koke spoke to Movistar after the conclusion of a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals.

Looking emotional, the veteran faced up to the cameras on behalf of the players.

“We’re really gutted, but I’m leaving here proud of the team, we gave it our all,” the midfielder reflected. “We had chances, but the ball just wouldn’t go in; the same thing happened in the first leg. We had them on the ropes at many points, but football is about clinical finishing, and they were more clinical. They were deserved winners.”

Koke on chances in the first leg​

“At the Metropolitano and here, to take the lead and then to tie it up. That’s football; you have to be decisive in both boxes.”

Koke is having a pretty good game, but too many times he's looked up and found no options. Needs Llorente, Griezmann, Julian to give him more routes forward.

— Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) May 5, 2026

Koke on refereeing​

“I’m not going to comment. He probably tried his best, just as I said in the first leg. I’m not going to comment. He knows how he refereed; he probably tried his best. I have nothing to say.”

Koke on Simeone’s message to the squad​

“That we gave it our all; when you give everything and it doesn’t go in, you can’t blame anyone. The team went for the win, and it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Atlético Madrid finish their season with zero titles. pic.twitter.com/FfersM7QsG

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 5, 2026

Koke on the season​

“Very exciting, especially in the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. In La Liga, we weren’t consistent; we didn’t perform at the level we should have, and we dropped points on the road where we should have won. In the Copa del Rey, we were very close, we lost on penalties, and here we were just a hair’s breadth away from reaching the final. The squad is growing, with very young players, and I’m sure that in the very near future they’ll be competing for major titles, and we’ll try to help them.”

Koke on his future​

“We’ll talk when the time comes.”

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