Athletico manager Madrid Diego Simeone opened in a heated incident after the 3-2 defeat in Liverpool in their Opener of the Champions League in Anfield. The Argentine coach was sent after facing a fan behind his kicking after the 92nd minute winner Virgil van Dijka, a quarrel that overshadowed the otherwise exciting European clash.
The incident ruled the discussion of the protection of the manager and the behavior of fans in football, while Simeone emphasized the emotional toll of constant abuse from the stalls. Simeone, spoke after the match, stressed that while his reaction was human, managers should not withstand repeated insults during games.
“My reaction is not justified, but do you know what it is like to be offended for 90 minutes?” Simeone said. “Just as we fight racism, we should also look at it because we have no right to respond and it is not easy to be offended throughout the match.”
“When they scored a third target, he turned (a fan) turned and offended me. I’m a man, I’m a man. It is obvious that my reaction was not ideal, but it was 90 minutes of offending.
On the pitch, Liverpool ran to 2-0 leads in six minutes, while Andy Robertson opened scoring from a ricochet free kick Muhammad Salah, followed by a clinical solo strike from Salah himself. Athletico replied before the half when Marcos Llorente scored to keep his team in rivalry and then equalized in the 81 minute with the stunning salvo reminiscent of his heroism by 2020 in Anfield.
Through the athletico revival, Van Dijk Late Headers provided victory for LiverpoolHe left Simeone frustrated and visibly upset. The administrators hit them to hold it back, and after confrontation a red card was issued. The manager briefly motioned to the fourth official and explained that it was a reaction to the abuse of the fan rather than his own offensive action.
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Arne Slot appreciated the fitness, mentality and endurance of his party, and got lost from the focus on the quarrel.
– ends
Published:
Debodinna Chakracorty
Published on:
September 18, 2025
