I love him — Osimhen shares opinion on Diego Simeone after UCL draw

Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen expressed his admiration for Atletico Madrid’s head coach, Diego Simeone, lauding the quality and aggressiveness of his team.  

As Pulse Sports reported, the 27-year-old striker played the full 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid at RAMS Park, showing no signs of the injury that forced him to limp off during Nigeria's AFCON 2025 semi-final against Morocco. 

Although he did not score, the former Napoli star was a constant threat to the Atlético defence, creating two significant chances during the match, and earned the praise of Simeone, who highlighted the Nigerian’s strength and tenacity. 

The admiration is not one-sided, as speaking after the game, Osimhen shared that he held the Argentinian tactician in high regard. He also praised his team for managing to secure a result against such a difficult side. 

 “I love Diego Simeone; I've always been a fan of him,” he said, per ForzaCimBom. “I've had the opportunity to meet him a few times. They play aggressively and have a clear identity. Since the coach has been there for many years, the players are completely accustomed to the kind of game he wants.

“That's why I'm putting so much emphasis on the performance we put out. Because Atlético Madrid is one of the best teams in the world, and even getting a draw against them shows that you're on the right track.”

Meanwhile, Osimhen has previously been linked with a move to the Spanish side. Those interests could be reignited should Barcelona manage to land Atletico’s Julian Alvarez.