UEFA set to investigate incident between Atletico Madrid staff and Liverpool fan
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Image Credits: Imago ImagesUEFA will reportedly examine allegations that an Atletico Madrid backroom staff member spat towards Liverpool supporters during Wednesday’s Champions League clash at Anfield.
The incident occurred in the closing stages of a pulsating encounter, moments after Virgil van Dijk’s 92nd-minute header sealed a 3-2 victory for the home side.
Video footage shared on social media appears to show a man wearing an Atletico coat and tracksuit leaning over the advertising boards and spitting towards the crowd as stewards tried to separate visiting staff and fans.
This is according to Paul Joyce of the Times.
The flashpoint came immediately after van Dijk’s stoppage-time winner, which capped a thrilling game that saw Atletico recover from 2-0 down courtesy of two Marcos Llorente goals.
Additionally, Diego Simeone was sent off by Italian referee Maurizio Mariani for confronting Liverpool supporters seated behind the technical area.
Television images showed Simeone exchanging words and gesturing towards fans before being held back by stewards and shown a red card for his “inappropriate conduct.”
Under UEFA regulations, Liverpool as the home club must supply stadium CCTV and steward logs covering the full duration of the incident.
Depending on the disciplinary panel’s findings, the Atletico staff member and potentially the club could face sanctions ranging from fines to stadium bans.
UEFA has also cautioned all parties that they will tolerate “no behaviour that jeopardises player or spectator safety or brings the game into disrepute.”
Meanwhile, Diego Simeone spoke on the alleged abuse he received from behind the away bench:
“We start with the part that touches me,” he said as quoted by AS.
“We are in a place where we have no right to react, it is not right when we react, because we are protagonists.”
“But just as we fight racism and insults to players, the benches are stuck and it’s not easy to get insults the whole game.
The third goal came and in addition to the insults there was a gesture and I am a person.”
“I’m not going to elaborate on what the insults were?
From the side I have to keep the place, hold everything that happens behind the substitutes’ bench and until I can’t solve it any coach has to live with that because it happens all the time.”
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