Diego Simeone arrived in the Camp Nou press room with his entire back‑room staff and departed to a round of applause after leading Atlético Madrid to claim what he described as a piece of "pure history". As the clock ticked down, and nerves frayed and hearts raced, Simeone said he imagined the late Luis Aragonés in the penalty area defending with his team and described their first league title in 18 years as a victory that gives hope.

"This shows that there is more than one way to win," he said. The Atlético Madrid manager also insisted that, despite having seen two players forced off through injury and going a goal down to Barcelona for the first time in six meetings between the teams this season, he did not doubt that his side could secure a result that would seal the title.

And he highlighted Atlético's win in Bilbao in March, when they came from behind to beat Athletic Club at San Mamés, as the moment when he could see that the team were on the right track.

Simeone was asked about the standing ovation that the Camp Nou gave his team at the final whistle. "It's one of the loveliest things that you can experience in football. The applause rounded off the season wonderfully. We made history today. At half-time, I told them that we had played well.

"Despite the injuries, which were no minor issue, and the fact that we had been forced to make two changes after 25 minutes, I told them that they were fine. I was convinced. The second half was extraordinary.

"It is a strange sensation [when the final whistle goes]," Simeone continued. "I thought about my people. I thought about those people close to me who could be here and those who could not. I thought about Jesús [Gil, Atlético's late owner] and about Luis [who died on 1 February], who were with us from up there. I am sure Luis would have been in the area defending with us."

The Argentinian had arrived with his backroom staff and announced: "I want to share this moment with my people. They might not appear on the television but they work every bit as much, or more, and I want to tell you how much I admire them. And the players too. I am proud of the group that we have built.

"It felt like the bigger the challenge the better. This has been a wonderful season. We won in Bilbao, we won in Seville, we drew here, we won at the Bernabéu. When opponents congratulate you and tell you that you deserve it, it makes it even more special.

"We have gone game by game, and that [phrase] is historic now. Madrid is red and white. I am sure that with every passing day there are more Atlético fans around the world."

Asked what this meant for Latin American football, he replied: "I would go further. I would say this means something for everyone; it means that you can win in different ways. It's always the player's characteristics that define how you play and we have won in a different way to Madrid or Barcelona."

Atlético were not presented with the league title trophy because Ángel María Villar, the president of the Spanish Football Federation, was unable to attend the match.

"That doesn't matter," Simeone said, smiling. "They can't take it off us."