Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has explained the “insults” he received that caused the explosive reaction leading to his red card in the latter parts of his side’s late 3-2 defeat against Liverpool on Wednesday.
The Argentine admitted he regretted the reaction that followed Virgil van Dijk’s 92nd-minute winner in their Champions League tie at Anfield.
The Dutch defender towered over his marker to head the ball into the bottom corner, producing yet another late goal for the Reds.
“A stunning goal from Van Dijk - it leaves us with a bitter taste in our mouths,” Simeone said after the game.
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has explained the “insults” he received that caused the explosive reaction leading to his red card in the latter parts of his side’s late defeat against Liverpool on Wednesday
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But flares tempered immediately in the closing stages of the contest, with the 55-year-old Atletico coach quickly involved in a verbal - and nearly physical - altercation with a Liverpool fan close to the dugouts.
After the game, Simeone opened up on his “regrets”, but has insisted it was “insults throughout the whole game” that drove him to react with such vigour.
"Firstly, I regret the part I played,” the former midfielder admitted. “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.
Diego Simeone was sent off after his reaction
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"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."
Diego Simeone said he 'regrets' the reaction but insisted it was because 'insults throughout the whole game'
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Naturally, questions arose about what specifically the insults were. Simeone responded: "The truth is, I cannot remember exactly. I don't want to enter into the situation.
"The thing I have is that I have to maintain my position. I need to know how to withstand everything that happens in front of the dugout, and know I cannot fix society. I, and whichever manager, has to live with this because it happens all of the time.
"My reaction isn't justifiable but do you know what it is like to be insulted for 90 minutes? I hope Liverpool can improve that aspect and that when they identify the person who did that, there will be consequences."
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It is not the first time this season that fans at Anfield have caused controversy.
In their Premier League curtain-raiser against Bournemouth last month, a 47-year-old male from Liverpool was accused and then arrested on suspicion of racially abusing Antoine Semenyo. The game was halted during the first half.
Simeone’s reaction came at the end of another frantic game for Arne Slot’s side, who gave a full debut to Alexander Isak but required a late winner to secure the three points - their fifth victory of the season.
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Virgil van Dijk's scored with just moments to spare
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The match started in perfect fashion for the Reds; Andy Robertson unintentionally diverted the ball into the back of the net after Mohamed Salah fired a free kick towards goal. It took just four minutes.
Then, two minutes later, a give-and-go between Salah and Ryan Gravenberch was coolly dispatched by the Egyptian. A classic but brilliant goal from the 33-year-old, who managed to hold off three Atletico defenders to reach the ball first and finish with ultimate composure.
Mohamed Salah scored a brilliant goal to put Liverpool 2-0 up on the night
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But Marcos Llorente would halve the deficit just before half-time with a tidy finish into the bottom corner.
And with ten minutes to spare, the Spaniard would score yet again - his seventh Champions League goal, his fourth at Anfield - with a thunderous strike from the edge of the box. A wicked deflection would take it past the despairing Alisson in the Liverpool net.
While it looked like Liverpool had thrown their first Champions League win of the season out of the window, van Dijk stepped up this time to win it late and take the three points with a towering header from a corner.
It means Liverpool have, on paper, started their season perfectly; five wins from five. However, their earliest winner still stands in the 83rd minute - a stunning free kick from Dominik Szoboszlai against Arsenal.