Jorge Sampaoli spoke to the press after his side’s defeat in the Calderón and conceded that the 3-1 loss effectively ended Sevilla’s challenge for the Liga title.

"We have to look at Champions League qualification"

“It’s the first defeat we’ve had in nine [league] games and logically our chances of the title are getting away from us. Now we have to look at the possibility of gaining automatic qualification for the Champions League.”

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Champions League exit

The Sevilla boss also said that the Champions League defeat at the hands of Leicester was a contributing factor to his side’s loss against Atlético: “When you’re coming off the back of a tough defeat and playing against a tough opponent who are strong at home… Atlético are one of the big clubs in Spain and unfortunately that’s the position we found ourselves in. Atlético’s first goal came from a set-piece and that can also dent confidence. Besides the result, and with the team not in their best moment, they still fought until the end. That doesn’t soothe the pain of defeat but it gives us optimism for what’s to come.”