During the UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2025-26 showdown at Anfield, Liverpool managed to defeat visitors Atletico Madrid 3-2 with a late winner from their captain Virgil van Dijk in the 92nd minute. Towards the end of the high octane contest, when Liverpool took the lead, DiegoSimeone
, the Atletico Madrid manager, reacted in disgust at the home fans after a small number of them goaded him into doing it.It led to the stewards arriving at the scene, putting themselves between Diego Simeone and Liverpool fans while the Atletico Madrid boss complained about the situation to the fourth official present nearby. Ultimately, the 55-year-old had to be dragged away from the scene but he was seemingly continuing his protest, and it gave no choice to the referee
to show him a red card and send him off.
Firstly I regret the part I played: Diego Simeone on clashing with Liverpool fans
After Diego Simeone walked off down the tunnel, he gave a statement about the entire situation in the post-match interview, stating that he regretted clashing with Liverpool fans, but it all came to a head due to insults thrown at him by them throughout the game. He was quoted as saying, BBC Sport, “Firstly I regret the part I played. It's clear we are in a position where we do not have the right to react and it is not good when we react.”
“We [managers] are in a position where we are protagonists/standard bearers, so in the same manner that we fight against racism and insults in stadiums today, we could also fight on behalf of the managers, against the insults we receive throughout the whole game. It's not easy to be in the position we are in and receive insults for the whole game. I saw it from far away after the third goal. I saw the third goal go in and I turned, the insults continued, and well, I'm a person,” remarked Diego Simeone about the whole ordeal with Liverpool fans at Anfield.
When the interviewer wanted to learn about the nature of insults thrown at him by Liverpool fans, the Atletico Madrid manager stated, “The truth is I cannot remember exactly. I don't want to enter into the situation.”
