Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone is confronted by referee Bjorn Kuipers during Saturday’s final in Lisbon.

It took Atletico Madrid 40 years to reach a second European Cup final and it might be a similarly long wait for a third appearance with wealthy clubs set to poach the La Liga champions’ key assets.

A week after Diego Godin headed the goal against Barcelona that won them the La Liga title for the first time since 1996, the Uruguayan nodded in a corner against Real Madrid in the final of the Champions League in Lisbon.

They looked set for a miraculous league and European double before Sergio Ramos equalised in the 93rd minute to force extra-time and deflate Atletico, who collapsed to a 4-1 loss.

The effects of a limited squad finally catching up with them against a blockbuster Real lineup, clearly fresher as the game wore on.

Despite their remarkable successes this season, they look ahead with an uncertain future with financial limitations making it a tough task to keep hold of their star names.

The combative Diego Costa has been strongly linked with a move to Chelsea, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois could join him at Stamford Bridge if an agreement to either extend his loan deal or sign him outright cannot be reached.

Clubs have also cast admiring glances at wingers Arda Turan and Koke, who is still only 22, and while Atletico were able to cope with the loss of Colombian striker Radamel Falcao last season, they are unlikely to be able to withstand any more purging.

On top of that, Simeone’s squad is full of players aged around 30 – with youthful potential limited.

Now, though, there is only sympathy in the Spanish press for Atletico, who lost the final in the cruellest of ways, and Simeone in particular.

He pushed his players as much as he could but boiled over in the final stages when he confronted Real defender Raphael Varane on the pitch.

“Simeone experienced for the first time in his short career as a coach the bitter side of a final,” read Spanish daily Sport.

Having wiped away the tears of disappointment, a defiant Simeone was convinced that Atletico can come back stronger.

“I said to the players, the game today didn’t deserve tears because when you give your all you have to have your head held high,” he said.

“We were beaten having done our best. This means that we will grow from this. It puts us in a position to continue competing and the opposition know what they are up against.”