Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone says he was provoked by constant insults from a Liverpool supporter during his side’s 3-2 Champions League defeat at Anfield on Wednesday night.
The Argentine coach was sent off late in the game after clashing with a fan who, according to him, had been insulting him from behind the bench for the entire 90 minutes.
Liverpool struck twice inside six minutes through Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah, before Atletico equalised in the 81st minute with a quick-fire brace from Marcos Llorente. However, Virgil van Dijk’s late header from a Dominik Szoboszlai cross sealed victory for the Reds.
Simeone was seen confronting a Liverpool supporter in the front row—reportedly after the fan made an offensive gesture—before being pulled away by stewards.
Speaking after the match, the Atletico boss admitted his reaction was wrong but insisted the provocation was relentless:
“They’ve been insulting you from behind the bench the whole game and you can’t say anything because you’re the coach. My reaction to the insult isn’t justifiable, but you don’t know what it’s like to be insulted for 90 minutes non-stop.”
Simeone added that the referee understood his frustration but urged Liverpool to take action:
“I hope Liverpool can improve and if they identify who did that, there will be consequences. The one who has to stay calm is me, but it’s not easy.”
