LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND — Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone called for action to be taken against abusive fans after he was sent off at the end of Wednesday's dramatic 3-2 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.
The Premier League champions notched another stoppage-time winner when Virgil van Dijk powered home Dominik Szoboszlai's corner.
Liverpool were 2-0 up inside six minutes through Andy Robertson and the excellent Mohamed Salah, but a goal in each half from Marcos Llorente hauled Atletico level.
The away bench celebrated Llorente's deflected 81st-minute volley wildly, but joy turned to despair when Van Dijk had the final word.
There was confusion on the touchline as Simeone was seen in a furious altercation before speaking to the referee and making his way down the tunnel.
Why was Diego Simeone sent off at Anfield?
After Van Dijk's goal, there was a flashpoint between members of the Atletico backroom staff, including Simeone, and some supporters celebrating at the front of the main stand.
Simeone then appeared to confront one fan goading him directly before turning to complain to the fourth official.
Referee Maurizio Mariani then came to the technical area and showed a red card. Simeone continued his protests a little while longer before shaking the official's hand and departing down the tunnel.
Diego Simeone demands 'consequences' after Liverpool fan insults
Simeone's first question at the post-match news conference concerned his red card.
Slightly clumsily, he suggested that action should be taken against fans abusing coaches and players in the same way that football's authorities try to stamp out racism. He said:
Let's talk about what refers to me. We are in a place where we don't have a right to reply or react, do we? It's never very good when we react as managers, is it? We are the people on the stage out there and need to behave well. But if there are comments against racism or insults, we can get angry and fight back as well. Managers, from the place that we are [in the dugout] we are getting insulted all of the game. When they scored the third goal, he turned around and insulted me, when I turned around, I am a person and I'm human.
Asked to clarify whether he had been racially abused, Simeone declined to get into the specifics of the abuse, adding:
I'm not going to get into the exact nature of the insults. I don't want to get involved with that. I don’t want that discussion. I have got to stay in my place. I know what went on behind the manager's bench. I can't solve society’s problems in one press conference. I've got to live with it because it exists all over the place all of the time.
In an interview with Spanish broadcaster Movistar, Simeone took a similar line to his press conference answer, helpfully without the clumsy reference to racism.
They always talk about taking care of each other, but they insult you throughout the entire match and you can't say anything because you're the manager. My reaction was unjustifiable, but do you know what it's like to be insulted for 90 minutes, to turn around after the opponent scores and still be insulted? It's not that easy. [The referee told me] he understood me. I hope Liverpool can improve that aspect and that when they identify the person who did that, there will be consequences. There were insults throughout the match, including gestures. It's clear that I'm the one who has to stay calm, I have to put up with the insults, the gestures and any situation. Because I'm in a position where I have to put up with it.
For his part, Liverpool boss Arne Slot was careful not to get embroiled in the controversy. "[Simeone] was closer to the situation than me so it is impossible for me to react to that," he said. "It was a great game, the headlines should be about that, not what happened after we scored for 3-2."
Will Diego Simeone be banned?
Simeone is likely to be banned from the touchline for Atletico's next Champions League game, which is against Eintracht Frankfurt at home on September 30.
He could be given a longer suspension if UEFA deems his actions at Anfield worthy of a harsher punishment. In 2018, he was given a four-game ban after ranting at the referee and pushing the fourth official during the first leg of the Europa League semifinal against Arsenal.