Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone sparked a major controversy after his remarks were perceived as mocking Saudi Arabia.
Lucho is currently in Saudi Arabia with Los Rojiblancos for the Spanish Super Cup, where Atletico will face Real Madrid in the semi-final on Thursday.
During the pre-match press conference, Simeone was asked if he thought Saudi Arabia would be an ideal location to host the 2034 World Cup. He responded with a laugh, saying yes.
The clip from the press conference circulated widely, raising questions about the reason for Simeone’s laughter. Many interpreted it as mocking Saudi Arabia’s ability to host the World Cup.
Voices also emerged in defense of the Argentinian coach. One commentator argued that the laughter had nothing to do with Saudi Arabia, but rather stemmed from his answer being in English, not Spanish. He explained, “Argentinians are very shy about using this language, so he laughed because the journalist asked him in English.”
It’s worth noting that Simeone also spoke positively about Saudi Arabia during the press conference, praising its infrastructure and officials. This suggests that the incident was simply a misunderstanding and that he never intended to mock the Kingdom.
