Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso expressed his displeasure with Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone’s treatment of Vinicius Junior, stating that it was a “bad example” of sportsmanship.
A verbal altercation erupted between Vinicius and Simeone during the Spanish Super Cup semi-final match between Real Madrid and Atlético, after the Argentine coach told the Brazilian player, “Florentino Pérez will get you fired.”
Real Madrid won 2-1 and advanced to the final against Barcelona next Sunday. Alonso expressed his delight at the victory and addressed what he described as Simeone’s strange behavior towards Vinicius.
Alonso said, “I didn’t like the whole situation. Simeone said something to Vinicius, and such behavior has nothing to do with sportsmanship.”
He added, “I don’t like it when someone speaks to the opponent in the way Simeone did. What he did was unacceptable. I try to respect the opposing players, and I don’t usually speak to them.”
He concluded, “I spoke with Vinicius after the match, and it will remain between us. The opponent must be respected, and everything has its limits on the pitch. When I heard what Simeone said to him, my frustration increased. This is a bad example of sportsmanship.”
It’s worth noting that some Spanish media outlets indicated that Vinicius initiated the incident after going to the Atlético Madrid bench and provoking the Rojiblancos players on the substitutes’ bench, which ultimately forced Simeone to respond harshly.
