Diego Simeone, the head coach of Atlético Madrid, has expressed regret over his sideline dispute with Vinícius Júnior during the Supercopa semifinal last week, acknowledging that he “didn’t handle it well.”
The exchange between Simeone and Vinícius drew significant attention following the match on Thursday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory to reach the final, ultimately losing 3-2 to Barcelona on Sunday.
Camera footage revealed a conversation between Vinícius and Simeone regarding an early penalty appeal for Atlético, during which Simeone allegedly suggested that Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez “was going to get rid of him.”
Both Simeone and Vinícius received yellow cards after their verbal exchange as the Brazilian was substituted. Following the game, when asked about the incident, Simeone seemed vague, stating that he “couldn’t recall” the specifics of the conversation.
“I want to apologize to Mr. Florentino and Mr. Vinícius for what transpired,” Simeone said during a press conference on Monday, prior to Atlético’s Copa del Rey matchup against Deportivo La Coruña. “Clearly, I shouldn’t have placed myself in that position, and I accept that my actions were not appropriate.”
Nonetheless, Simeone declined to comment on the remarks made by Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, who suggested that Simeone’s behavior had “crossed a line in terms of respect for a colleague,” and described him as “not a role model for sportsmanship.”
“I have nothing further to say,” Simeone responded when asked about Alonso’s comments on Monday.
Although Atlético had more opportunities and controlled possession compared to Real Madrid in Thursday’s semifinal, Simeone commended both their rivals and the Supercopa champions, Barcelona.
“The team that wins earns the right to advance,” he remarked. “[Real] deserved to progress. In the final [against Barcelona], they came close to leveling the match. They are consistently competitive, as we’ve come to expect.”