Diego Simeone, Jan Oblak clash as Atletico Madrid slump to defeat against Rayo Vallecano

Oblak suggested Atletico's inconsistency had effectively ended their title hopes, while Simeone insisted the loss simply came down to poor execution rather than mentality or motivation.

Speaking after the match at Estadio Municipal de Butarque, Oblak was openly critical of the performance and its wider implications.

"It seems that La Liga has been thrown away. We can't lose matches like this," he said, via Marca. "Matches aren't chosen. You have to compete at the highest level and we're not doing that. Rayo were much better and we deserved to lose."

The result leaves Atletico fourth in La Liga, now 15 points behind leaders Real Madrid, and comes just days after an impressive victory over Barcelona.

Simeone, however, disagreed with his goalkeeper's assessment, maintaining that Atletico's issues were purely tactical and performance-based.

"I don't agree with what Oblak said," Simeone explained, as reported by Diario AS. "We played badly and when the opponent plays better, they beat you. It wasn't about intensity or attitude - they were superior."

The Argentine coach also defended his rotated squad and stressed the importance of maintaining depth as Atletico continue their push across competitions, including their upcoming Champions League clash with Club Brugge.

"Our objective is to play every match as if it were the last," Simeone said. "Today we couldn't do that, so we must congratulate the opponent and focus on what comes next."