Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone stuck by his team's style of play in the face of criticism from Jurgen Klopp after the Spanish side knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League.
The Reds reached the last two finals of European football's elite competition, winning it in Madrid last year, but they were dumped out at the last-16 stage by Simeone's side on Wednesday.
A Gini Wijnaldum goal took the tie to extra-time at Anfield, and when Roberto Firmino struck at the beginning of the extra period it looked as though Klopp's men would be heading through.
However, a brace from Atletico midfielder Marcos Llorente - who was helped by some unconvincing goalkeeping from Liverpool's Adrian - turned the tide, and the Spanish side secured a 3-2 win thanks to Alvaro Morata's strike late on.
Klopp couldn't hide his disappointment after the match, and aimed a pointed barb at Simeone's tactics.
“They way they play, I don’t get it," said the Reds boss .
"I don’t understand how they get some of the best players in the world playing like that.
“Congratulations to Atletico, but I’m a really under-average loser.
"And if I said everything that was on my mind I would come across as the worst loser in the world."
Simeone responded to those comments in respectful fashion though, refusing to criticise the German.
"I respect his identity and the quality footballers they have," the Atletico boss told his post-match press conference.
"We try to exploit deficiencies in the opponent. That’s what we do. And we try to win."
The defeat was Klopp's first European loss at Anfield, and also marked the first time the Reds have failed to win a two-legged European tie under the former Borussia Dortmund boss.
