Arsenal defender Ben White was involved in a tunnel altercation with Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone after appearing to anger Atletico players by walking over their club badge at the Metropolitano Stadium. The incident occurred following the Champions League semi-final first leg, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Footage shared by Marca shows White walking over the giant crest near the tunnel, prompting Giuliano Simeone, the Atletico winger and son of Diego, to confront him. The pair exchanged words before Diego Simeone intervened, but White then responded to the manager, leading to heightened tensions as staff from both teams stepped in.
In Spain, stepping on club badges is considered disrespectful, and many players make a deliberate effort to avoid them. Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, for instance, avoided walking over Manchester City's badge during a Champions League match at the Etihad two seasons ago.
Tensions were already high before the match, with Arsenal requesting a pitch inspection due to the length of the grass. White was also involved in one of three penalty incidents, conceding a spot-kick for handball after Viktor Gyokeres had scored from the penalty spot.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was left furious after a late VAR decision overturned a second penalty for his side, despite apparent contact on Eberechi Eze. Arteta said: 'In the manner that we conceded the penalty, we were disappointed. In the Premier League, it’s not a penalty, but here I have to accept that this is handball. But what I’m incredibly fuming with is how the hell the penalty on Eze gets overturned... This changes the course of the game.'
Uefa issued a brief statement saying: 'Atleti player, No 17, did not commit a foul on the opponent.'
