'If there are comments against us, racism or insults...': Diego Simeone explains why he confronted a Liverpool fan

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has hinted that racist comments were the reason he lost his cool against a Liverpool fan, as the videos of him confronting the supporter at Anfield from the Wednesday UEFA Champions League match are going viral. Simeone confronted Liverpool fans behind the dugout area after the home team scored a 92nd-minute winner against Madrid.

In the viral videos, Simeone can be seen aggressively charging towards a fan as stewards and Atletico support staff try to drag him away. The 55-year-old legendary coach was later sent off by the referee as Madrid lost 3-2.

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Simeone must be hoping for a draw in the first match of the new Champions League season after Marcos Llorente’s second-half brace levelled the match 2-2. Andrew Robertson and Mohamed Salah had scored for Liverpool in the first half, and in injury time, captain Virgil van Dijk scored the winning goal, leading to an angry reaction by Simeone.

Simeone hints at racism from Liverpool fan

Explaining the explosion towards the end of the match, Simeone said that he just reacted like a human after being abused for the whole game.

“We are in a place where we don’t have a right to reply or react, and it is never good when we react as managers,” Simeone said. “But if there are comments against us, racism or insults, we can get angry or fight back so when we are getting insulted all the game, when they scored the third goal, he turned round and insulted me. I am a person, I am human.”

Despite hinting that the abuse could have been racist in nature, Simeone refused to go into details and accepted his mistake.

“I am not going to get into the exact nature of the insults. I don’t want to get involved in 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 have to live with it.”