1 month ago
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Hansi Flick has come to the defense of Diego Simeone after he clashed with a Liverpool supporter during his side's fiery Champions League encounter.
Simeone was sent off after clashing with a fan in a dramatic finale to the Reds’ victory over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. Virgil van Dijk’s injury-time header secured a 3-2 win, extending Liverpool’s remarkable run of late triumphs this season.
The match had already been full of twists, with Liverpool surrendering a two-goal lead at Anfield before Van Dijk rose highest to convert Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner in stoppage time. But the wild celebrations were overshadowed by chaos on the touchline, as Simeone appeared to square up to a fan behind the Atletico dugout.
The Argentine exchanged heated words with the supporter, who seemed to be goading him, before security staff intervened.
Though briefly pulled away, Simeone returned moments later and had to be restrained once more, leaving the referee little choice but to brandish a red card.
Addressing the media in his Saturday press conference, Hansi Flick was inevitably asked about the chaotic scenes that unfolded at Anfield. And Barcelona’s head coach showed sympathy for his Atletico counterpart.
"Simeone’s outburst at Anfield? Sometimes these things happen to me, but for me, I focus more on the match and my team," said Flick.
"However, it’s not pleasant to hear such insults from the crowd. In the end, everyone is different, and I won’t talk about what happened with Simeone because it’s about his feelings, and I understand that. But it varies from one person to another.”
After the game, Simeone spoke candidly about the incident. "They insult you all game long behind the bench, and you can't respond because you're the manager," he told reporters, translated from Spanish. "My reaction to the insult isn't justifiable, but it's not easy to endure being insulted for 90 minutes.
"Hopefully, Liverpool can improve, and when they find the person who did it, there will be consequences.
He added, via AS: "Insults all game long. And gestures too. I'm the one who has to stay calm, and I have to put up with the gestures, the insults, any situation.
"Why? Because I'm in a position where I have to put up with it."
Discussing the game, he said: "The truth is that it was a beautiful game, in a fantastic stadium in front of an incredible crowd, against a team full of great players.
"We had our weapons, and we gave our all to take the game in the direction that we wanted, and I think we were dangerous."
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