In a significant moment of accountability following one of world football’s most heated rivalries, Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone has issued a formal public apology for his touchline conduct directed at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior and club president Florentino Pérez.
The apology, delivered during a press conference on Monday, addresses the intense verbal exchanges that marred last Thursday’s Spanish Super Cup semi-final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory.
The controversy centered on remarks from Simeone, captured by television cameras and analyzed by lip-readers, in which he targeted Vinícius Jr. during the match. According to multiple reports, the Argentine coach told the Brazilian winger, “Florentino will kick you out – remember what I’m telling you,” a pointed reference to stalled contract talks and persistent speculation about the player’s future at the Bernabéu.
The antagonism continued when Vinícius was substituted in the 81st minute, with Simeone reportedly gesturing toward the player and telling him to “listen” to the whistles from a section of the crowd.
Addressing the media ahead of Atlético’s Copa del Rey fixture, Simeone struck a conciliatory yet characteristically firm tone. “I would like to apologize to Mr. Florentino and Mr. Vinícius for the incident they witnessed,” Simeone stated. “It was wrong of me to put myself in that position, and I accept that it was wrong.
The team that wins deserves to go through; they deserved to go through”. However, when pressed on whether he sought forgiveness, Simeone added a notable caveat: “I apologise, but I do not ask for forgiveness. I have nothing more to add”.
This stance marked a reversal from his immediate post-match comments, where he claimed not to remember the incident, telling reporters, “I have nothing to say… what happens on the field stays on the field”.
The incident drew sharp criticism from the Real Madrid camp, particularly from manager Xabi Alonso, who defended his player and questioned Simeone’s sportsmanship. “I try to be respectful toward players from the opposing team… When I heard what he said, I liked it even less,” Alonso said. “It’s not an example of good sportsmanship, and not everything goes. There has to be respect for the opponent, and what happens on the pitch has limits”.
Vinícius Jr., for his part, initially responded on social media, commenting “you’ve lost another knockout tie” on a post detailing the clash.
The backdrop to Simeone’s taunts involves Vinícius’s prolonged goal drought, which had stretched to 16 games before he scored in Sunday’s Super Cup final against Barcelona, a match Real Madrid ultimately lost 3-2. While his contract runs until 2027, talks over an extension have reportedly stalled, lending a kernel of truth to Simeone’s provocative words.
The public apology from a figure as notoriously combative as Simeone underscores the line-crossing nature of the incident, which diverted attention from a crucial derby and fueled a saga that has now, perhaps, found its conclusion on the coach’s own terms.