The Spanish champions withdrew from the tournament after a 0-0 draw at Wanda Metropolitano saw Man City secure a 1-0 victory, but clashes on the pitch and in the tunnel after the game between the two sets of players overshadowed the process. The Atletico players did not hold back on the treatment of their counterparts in Manchester City and Phil Fontaine was left in need of treatment due to a head injury after a strong challenge from Felipe at the beginning of the first half. The Atletico defender later received a second yellow card for expelling the same player, before team-mate Stefan Savic – a former Manchester City player – started a hand-to-hand battle when he tried to face Fontaine while he was injured. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Spanish football journalist Alvaro Montero gives the reaction from Spain for the appearance of Atletico Madrid against Manchester City in the Champions League. Savic continued to hit Rahim Sterling with his head and pulled Jack Grillis’ hair in the same incident, but both the field officials and the VAR chose not to eliminate Atletico center-back. The ugly scenes continued after the last whistle, with shots showing the composure still fraying as the players headed for the tunnel. Sime Vrsaljko, who was an unused Atletico substitute, was seen throwing a bottle in the direction of Aymeric Laporte, while police reportedly rushed to calm the scene. While referee Daniel Simbert only issued one red card per night, he could face more punishment, with UEFA saying it would wait to receive reports from the referee and match representative before deciding whether to take disciplinary action. The governing body of European football could appoint an ethics and discipline inspector to fully investigate what happened.
“UEFA has a lot to consider after an unpleasant hand-to-hand fight”
Picture: Fernandinho intervenes between Diego Simeone and Riyad Mahrez at the end of the match
Ben Ransom, Sky Sports News reporter in Madrid “In the preparation we were very focused on the styles. Guardiola before the game talked about the aggression he was expecting, but I think he expected it to be a little less than what we saw last night because he was boiling. . “There were a lot of hot spots. The first time we saw that it was very bad on the pitch was this hand-to-hand fight that broke out after that tackle on Phil Fontaine, Felipe was finally sent off. Stefan Savic, the former Manchester City player. There were plans to pull Jack Grealish’s hair and put his head on another player. “I can not remember being in a game where there were so many players involved in such a melee battle, and it was physical. It was very ugly and went on for so long. “Normally everything goes out pretty quickly and there are often a lot more peacemakers – it did not happen last night. I think it got to the point where Atletico’s frustration really boiled over. “It all started again in the tunnel. From my point of view, the players were grazing down there and the security did everything they could to prevent them from being thrown things by the Atletico Madrid fans. “And then, the moment they disappeared from sight, you could see them gathering again, the police rushed to separate them in the tunnel. So much for UEFA to think about.”
Pep: Atletico can play as they want | Simeone: Some praise us with contempt
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has denied that he criticized Diego Simeone’s way of playing, after Atletico Madrid coach said they were praised “with contempt”. Pep Guardiola refused to criticize Atletico’s approach after the game and instead insisted that he was consistently positive about Simeone’s tactics and that the former Argentine midfielder could set up his team in any way he wanted. Responding to Spanish reporters, the Man City coach said: “It was you who said Simeone’s cycle was always the same, it was you three or four months ago. You said that when they were not winning games. It was you, not me. you put. “I always said kind words about the club and the team. El Cholo [Diego Simeone] he can play as he wants, nothing else “. Speaking after the departure of his team, Simeone said that he felt that people praised Atletico’s style with “contempt”. “I have no reason to comment on whether someone is saying good or bad things,” Simeone said. “Often those who have a wide vocabulary are very smart and can praise you with contempt. “But those of us who may not have that much vocabulary are not stupid.” Simeone also denied that he witnessed any of the scenes in the tunnel, saying: “I did not see it. I stayed on the pitch applauding the fans and saying hello to everyone on the pitch. So by the time I got up everyone was gone.”
Koke hits City “a waste of time” Stones proud of City’s teammates
Atletico captain Koke defended his team’s antics during his visit to Manchester City and instead expressed his opposition to what he thought was Guardiola’s team was wasting time. “The match leads you to this madness when you see that you have opportunities and they fall to the ground and waste time,” Koke said. “Many times we are criticized for this situation, but today it was them. Let’s see what people think about it. Today it has been seen, we are Atletico Madrid and I am proud of this team. “I’m proud of my team-mates for the effort. I have nothing to blame the team for. I’m proud of everyone and the fans, who lost, were left to applaud us after the game. This is Atletico.” Image: Man City players celebrate their qualification Manchester City defender John Stones, meanwhile, admitted that the mass brawl at the end of the match “is not nice to talk about”, but welcomed his team’s reaction to Atleti’s actions. “We know that sometimes they try to make things happen and I think we did very well,” Stones said. It’s not nice to talk about it. I do not want to dwell on that because in two games we played incredibly against such an experienced team in what it does. “I’m so proud of the kids for how we controlled our composure. It’s so easy to get carried away by such things. So happy I ended up having a great night. “We certainly knew it was not an easy place to come. This is my first time here and it is a hostile environment. It was a difficult night all along, but how we defended and how we controlled ourselves was incredible.” Stones also made suggestions for Fontaine, who fell victim to both of Felipe’s yellow card offenses, and was targeted by Atletico players. Picture: Phil Fontaine enjoying some dynamic treatment in Manchester City’s away game against Atletico Madrid “[They started] early the doors “, Stones said about Atleti’s confrontation with Fontaine. “Phil was such a threat in both games, especially when he entered the first game, an instant impact. “Then in this game, he led us on the pitch and won us meters. He was great. He feels it after the game now.”
How the newspapers reacted to the collapse of Atletico
On a night when Atletico Madrid left the Champions League after a bad draw, the British media criticized Simeone’s team for their actions. Daily Mirror sports writer Mike Walters wrote on Twitter Wednesday night: “Imagine supporting a team led by Simeone, including Felipe and Savic, and really wanting to win. What a bunch of animals.” Meanwhile, Daily Mail footballer Jack Gaughan, who was at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, described Atleti’s actions as “really shameful” while Martin Samuel from the same newspaper described the Spanish side as “sore loors”. TalkSPORT presenter Adrian Durham added on Twitter: “Simeone’s Atleti is completely illegal. Glad he’s out”, while author Paul Hayward added: no foot. Savic and Felipe: horrible. “ However, there was a drastically different reaction to Atletico’s performance in the Spanish newspapers on Thursday morning, where Simeone’s team was praised for its appearance. “Atletico tried until the end against a City team that was not playing for anything,” Marca wrote, adding that a great Atletico player was one step away from extra time. a shrinking City “. In the game’s player ratings, Marca also said “the world needs a leader like Savic”.
