Diego Simeone responds to Celtic outcry at Atletico kit stunt as they bring 2 heroes from shame game to Parkhead

Unrepentant Atletico Madrid insist they have every right to pay homage to the 1974 team which reached the European Cup final after kicking Celtic off the park by wearing retro shirts in honour of their heroes at Parkhead tonight.

And two of them - Cacho Heredia and Bermejo, who were booked in the match that saw three Spaniards sent off and only two of the 13 who played escaped a yellow card - travelled with the official party to Wednesday's Champions League clash in Glasgow’s East End. Atletico captain Koke and manager Diego Simeone are adamant that while history is important, tonight is all about the present and a determination to keep their campaign on track at the expense of Brendan Rodgers’ men.

Record Sport branded the Madrid outfit ‘Pathetico Madrid’ for the stunt and when asked to comment on the headline, Simeone said: “People can interpret things any way they want. Tomorrow is just about the opposition. Celtic is a tough rival, with some really strong players. I really admire the way they play football and it is going to be a tough game.

“Newspapers will have their headlines but what matters to me is the stadium, the history and the crowd. It is a huge game, the Champions League and their fans will be hoping to get a win. We are going to approach the game with a lot of enthusiasm and vigour.”

Midfielder Koke added: “It (the history) is an important thing for the club, but that was 50 years ago, so while it is good to have those people with us and memories are a big part of football, it is a completely different game now.

“We are just focused on the game tomorrow. It doesn’t really matter what colour of shirts we are wearing, they could be red or they could be red and white. The most important thing is the game. I