Shakespeare backs Atletico Madrid to win the Champions League

Craig Shakespeare backed Atletico Madrid to win
the Champions League after Diego Simeone's side
knocked out his Leicester City team 2-1 on
aggregate in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Saul Niguez gave Atletico the lead on the night -
extending their 1-0 advantage from the first leg -
but Jamie Vardy scored to level the match and
spark intense pressure on the LaLiga giants, but
the visitors survived to progress to the semi-finals
for the third time in four years.
Shakespeare felt Atletico's quality showed over the
course of the two matches as the Premier League
champions exited after a pair of hard-fought
battles.
"Their history speaks for itself," Shakespeare said
at his post-match news conference. "Finalists in
two of the last three years and we knew what type
of challenge to expect. After the first leg we felt we
were in the tie and we had a right go but ultimately
we've just failed at the last hurdle.
"I think they have been unfortunate in the last few
years and we can see the quality they have in both
games. They'll be tough opponents in the semi-
finals but I don't see any reason why they cannot
win it.
"We are disappointed to go out, but I'm immensely
proud of the team and I thought we ran an excellent
team close and gave them a really good shot at it.
The players can be immensely proud of their
performance but ultimately they are very
disappointed to go out."
Congratulations @atletienglish and good luck for the
rest of the #UCL campaign. #LeiAtm twitter.com/
atletienglish/…
10:07 PM - 18 Apr 2017
315 842
Leicester City
@LCFC
A tactical switch with two half-time substitutions
almost turned the game around for Leicester and
Shakespeare hopes a taste of European football
pushes his players to qualify for the Champions
League again in the future.
"We had planned it [the change to three at the
back] in advance, but I hadn't expected to do it that
early," the manager added. "I actually thought we
played all right in the first half but we needed to be
more of a threat in their half and especially in front
of goal.
"We spoke about playing direct and playing Jamie
and Riyad [Mahrez] just off Leo [Ulloa] and having
wing-backs. We worked on it in training but I
didn't expect to do it that early. I thought the
players' attitude to make it work was first class
and in the second half we got the goal but couldn't
get the breaks to score more.
"I hope the benefit of this is they want some more
[European football]. They're very disappointed in
there but they can be proud of what they have
achieved. They should want more of this because
all players want to play at the highest level, but we
have to get back to winning ways in the Premier
League now."
CS: "Hoping it's just cramp for @Wes5L1nk in what
was an intense game." #LeiAtm
9:51 PM - 18 Apr 2017
16 108
Leicester City
@LCFC
Shakespeare's long-term future remains
unresolved but the 53-year-old, who succeeded
sacked Italian Premier League-winning
manager Claudio Ranieri, is keen to discuss an
extended deal.
"I'm not looking too far ahead, I think you've got to
be careful you don't get too carried away in
football," Shakespeare said. "We have to
concentrate on points in the Premier League and
climbing the table. The here and now is the
important thing and Arsenal a week tomorrow is
the next game.
"[My future] is not in my hands, it's in the club's
hands and we'll sit down at the end of the season.
I'll sit down before then if it arises but my contract
is to the end of the season. I've enjoyed it and I've
enjoyed the Champions League and pitting my wits
against one of the best managers and sides in the
world."