Simeone banned for reacting to Liverpool fan in Champions League | OneFootball

Just one date was enough for the Champions League to produce an image that went around the world: Diego Simeone being expelled at Anfield after an intense clash with a Liverpool fan during Atlético de Madrid's defeat. And the situation didn't come cheap for him. UEFA took matters into their own hands and initiated a disciplinary file.

The situation occurred in the last play of the match, when Virgil Van Dijk scored the 3-2 for The Reds, and amid the celebrations, Cholo couldn't contain himself in the face of provocative gestures from the stands and responded verbally in an exaggerated manner. To the point that he had to be separated by security members.

Referee Maurizio Mariani did not hesitate to show him a direct red card. In his report, he justified it as “unsportsmanlike conduct.” And even though Cholo himself tried to defend himself by justifying that “they insult you the whole match and you can't say anything. It's not justifiable, but it's not easy,” UEFA did not relent.

The European governing body is considering suspending the Argentine coach for one match (against Eintracht Frankfurt at home) along with a financial fine. However, if the sporting sanction is greater, Atlético already plans to appeal the decision. Meanwhile, the bench in the next international match could be led by Nelson Vivas on an interim basis.

Likewise, Liverpool didn't come out unscathed: they could be punished for throwing objects from the stands during the back-and-forth with Simeone. The sanction has not been disclosed, although it is expected to be made official in the coming days. Moments after the incident, Simeone extended his protest regarding this.

“Just as we fight against racism and insults, we also have to look at what happens behind the benches. I turned around at the 3-2 and the insults continued with a gesture, and well, I'm a person,” he stated about an issue that also did not escape UEFA's attention.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.