Antonio Conte is not the only manager in Champions League Group C who finds himself under the microscope. Atletico Madrid tactician Diego Simeone has his club on the brink of elimination in the group stage for the first time in four years after a shocking draw to lowly Qarabag.

 

Qualification is now out of Madrid’s hands. In addition to winning both of their remaining matches, one at home against Rome and the other away against Antonio Conte's Chelsea, Athletic fans will have to hope that at least one of them does not beat Qarabag. Considering Tuesday’s draw earned Qarabag the first point in Azerbaijan’s Champions League history, it appears qualification is now a bridge too far.

 

Simeone, who in September renewed his contract with the Biancorossi until June 2020, is on the verge of his most striking disappointment as a coach in the Champions League. 

 

The failure, however, will not only be on the field. It will be economic as well. Qualification to the next stage, in fact, earns team 6 million euros, another 6.5 million when they advance to the quarter-finals, 7.5 million to the semifinals and 11 million to reach the final in Kiev. Madrid, who are one of the higher spending teams in Europe, will surely miss that money at the transfer deadline.