Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone has defended his actions after being sent off in stoppage time during his team’s dramatic 3-2 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in their Champions League opener. The Argentine coach was dismissed shortly after Virgil van Dijk scored the decisive goal, following a heated altercation on the touchline that saw stewards intervene.

Simeone admitted he was “fighting back” after being subjected to insults from supporters behind the Atlético bench. Television footage captured him confronting a fan, sparking a brief scuffle involving stewards and members of Atlético’s coaching staff. “We are on the stage, we are supposed to behave well, but we are also human,” Simeone told reporters. “When there are racist comments or personal insults, sometimes you can react. I won’t go into the details, but it happened when they scored their third goal.”

Despite the late drama, Atlético had staged a spirited comeback from two goals down before Van Dijk’s injury-time strike sealed Liverpool’s victory. Furious scenes marked the final whistle as Simeone was shown red, leaving Atlético to face further UEFA disciplinary scrutiny. Liverpool coach Arne Slot insisted he was unaware of the incident, while Simeone maintained he would “live with it” but stressed the issue reflected wider societal problems.