Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone admits it will be difficult for his side to reach the same points tally in La Liga next season.
A 2-0 win over Celta Vigo on the final day of the 2015-16 season saw Atletico Madrid finish on 88 points with 28 wins from 38 games.
Fernando Torres kept up his goal-scoring form with a strike in the 51st minute before Antoine Griezmann doubled the advantage three minutes later at the Vicente Calderon.
Simeone said the side reached their target this year and was happy to see them challenge eventual winners Barcelona and rivals Real Madrid until the very end.
“We achieved our objective of third place. Year after year we work better competing with ourselves,” Simeone said after the win.
“Definitely next season it is going to be hard, because passing these numbers will be very difficult.
“But it makes us happy because we are fighting with the best in the world. Finishing three points behind makes you feel like if you keep working, you can achieve anything.”
Atletico now turn their attention to the Champions League final on May 28 where they front La Liga counterparts Real.
“We are thinking about the Madrid game, the final of the Champions League. Like Fernando [Torres] said, there is nothing more important than that game,” Simeone added.
“The things are starting to come together and there is great willingness, we are all at hand.”
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