By Daily Sports on February 22, 2019

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone said it “took balls” for him to include Diego Costa and Koke from the start against Juventus as he explained his crotch-grabbing gesture during his team's 2-0 win in Wednesday’s Champions League round-of-16 first leg.

It was Costa’s first start since he fractured the fifth metatarsal on his left foot on Dec. 2 and Koke’s first appearance following his recovery from a muscular injury sustained on Jan. 19. After Jose Gimenez’s opener in the 78th minute, Simeone celebrated by turning to the Wanda Metropolitano crowd and putting his hands to his genitals – a gesture he had done as a player.

“It means we have balls, a lot of balls,” he said unapologetically. “To put in Costa and Koke after so long out, you must have balls and I have them. I wanted to show our fans what I was feeling. I did it [when I was a player] in a Lazio vs. Bologna game.”

Simeone praised both Costa and Alvaro Morata for their contribution to the victory.

“Costa was not ready for 90 minutes,” he said. “I spoke Wednesday morning with Costa and Morata, what I needed from each in the game.

“And they came through, both of them. Morata even after VAR did not favour him again.”

Morata, who replaced Costa on 58 minutes, appeared to have headed Atletico in front against his old team but a VAR call disallowed the goal. However, Atletico still took a lead to Turin thanks to goals at set-pieces from centre-backs Gimenez and Diego Godin.

There was a low point for Atletico, however, with bookings for Costa and Thomas Partey, who will both now miss the second leg in Turin on March 12.

Atletico have never lost a knockout tie in eight years under Simeone after winning the first leg but the Argentine had a warning in his postmatch news conference. (ESPN)

•Photo shows Diego Simeone 

Source Daily Sports

Posted February 22, 2019

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