Diego Simeone admitted he lost his composure after being sent off at Anfield on Wednesday. The Atletico Madrid coach urged Liverpool to address the behaviour of fans he clashed with. Following Virgil van Dijk's late header, which secured a 3-2 victory for Liverpool, Simeone seemed to confront nearby supporters. Although referee Maurizio Mariani showed him a red card, Simeone felt the official understood his situation.
Since their triumph over Liverpool in the 2019-20 Champions League round of 16, Atletico Madrid has struggled against English clubs. They have only one win in their last nine encounters with English teams in the competition. This solitary victory came against Manchester United in March 2022. Liverpool is now the only team to defeat
Atletico in three consecutive European Cup or Champions League matches.
Simeone expressed frustration over continuous insults from fans during the game. "They've been talking about putting on a good show, but they insult you from behind the bench the whole game, and you can't say anything because I'm the coach," he told Movistar. He acknowledged that his reaction was unjustifiable but highlighted the difficulty of enduring constant abuse for 90 minutes.
Full time at Anfield. pic.twitter.com/sIl1FEkrfe
- Atltico de Madrid (@atletienglish) September 17, 2025
The tension escalated when Van Dijk scored just before full-time, leading to further insults directed at Simeone. He explained that the referee empathised with his predicament but hoped Liverpool would take action against those responsible for the abuse. Simeone remarked that despite enduring insults and gestures throughout the match, it was expected of him to remain composed.
Atletico had fought back from two goals down to equalise through Marcos Llorente's brace before Van Dijk's decisive goal led to Simeone's altercation with fans. The incident underscored the intense atmosphere at Anfield and highlighted ongoing challenges for Atletico when facing English opposition in Europe.
