Xabi Alonso criticized Diego Simeone for his altercation with Vinícius Júnior during Real Madrid‘s 2-1 victory in the Supercopa de España semifinal against Atlético Madrid on Thursday, stating that “not everything is acceptable.”
Federico Valverde opened the scoring for Real with a free kick in the second minute, followed by Rodrygo extending the lead to 2-0 in the second half. Atlético’s Alexander Sørloth later pulled one back, as Real Madrid prepared to face Barcelona in the final this Sunday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Video footage seemed to show Simeone on the sidelines repeatedly telling Vinícius that Madrid president Florentino Perez was “going to get rid of him” during the match, and gesturing towards the crowd’s boos when Vinícius was substituted.
When asked about Simeone’s conduct, Alonso responded to Movistar, “I didn’t appreciate it. I noticed that ‘Cholo’ said something to him. To me, those kinds of actions cross a line concerning the respect owed to a colleague… not everything is permissible.”
“I strive to maintain respect for players on opposing teams,” Alonso elaborated during a press conference. “What I saw and heard from [Simeone] disturbed me even more. His comments do not reflect good sportsmanship. Respect for one’s opponents is essential, and there are boundaries.”
Both Simeone and Vinícius received yellow cards from the referee after exchanging remarks as Vinícius left the field.
Alonso also confirmed that Kylian Mbappé, who missed the semifinal due to a knee sprain, was set to travel to Jeddah on Friday ahead of Sunday’s Clásico final.
“Kylian is traveling tomorrow,” Alonso stated. “He is feeling much better, he’s been training, and the feedback is positive.”
Simeone did not deny that he had made remarks about Madrid looking to “get rid of” Vinícius but declined to go into further detail when questioned about the incident.
“I have nothing to say,” the Atlético coach replied to Movistar. “I have always maintained, as a player: what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch. I have no further comments.”
“I respect all of Real Madrid’s players greatly,” he added.
Simeone also had brief exchanges with Madrid substitute Dani Carvajal at halftime and with Valverde when Vinícius was substituted.
“There are codes shared among footballers and coaches,” Valverde noted to Movistar. “That’s part of the game. It’s a derby. What matters is that it remains on the pitch. Football thrives on that intensity.”
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois described Valverde’s impressive free kick as “something out of a cartoon.”
“It was a fantastic goal,” Courtois told Real Madrid TV. “I saw it from behind. Fede has a powerful shot. No one anticipated he would take such a shot, bending it over the wall.”